Kerry S. Walters (born 1954) is Professor emeritus of Philosophy at Gettysburg College and author of numerous books on philosophy, religion, and American history as well as over 200 articles in academic journals, trade magazines, and newspapers. His special fields of interests include Christian mysticism, atheism, the ethics of diet, Christian pacifism, critical thinking, deism in early America, and the history of the early republic.
Walters earned his BA (Philosophy, 1976) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, his MA (Philosophy, 1980) at Marquette University, and his PhD (Philosophy, 1985) at the University of Cincinnati. He taught at Gettysburg College for three decades, retiring in May 2016. He also taught at Xavier University (Cincinnati), the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Essex (England).
During his tenure at Gettysburg College, Walters held the Edwin T. and Cynthia Johnson Chair of Distinguished Teaching and the William Bittinger Chair of Philosophy. He also helped found and taught in the program of Peace and Justice Studies.
Walters lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife Kimberly Daubman, a psychology professor at Bucknell University. They have a grown son, Jonah Walters.
Authored and Edited Books
Several of Walters' books have received national awards or recognition, and have been translated. Merciful Meekiness: Becoming a Spiritually Integrated Person, was named a "Best Book on Spirituality for 2005" by Spirituality and Health Magazine; his Revolutionary Deists: Early America's Rational Infidels was named a "Choice Outstanding Academic Title" for 2011; his The Art of Dying and Living received a Gold Nautilus Award for 2012; and his Giving up god...to Find God:Breaking Free of Idolatry won a 2014 National Catholic Press Award.
Walters, Kerry S. (1989). The Sane Society in Modern Utopianism: A Study in Ideology
Walters, Kerry S. (1990). Elihu Palmer's Principles of Nature: Text and Commentary
Walters, Kerry S. (1992). The American Deists: Voices of Reason and Dissent in the Early Republic
Walters, Kerry S. (1992). Rational Infidels: The American Deists
Walters, Kerry S. (1994). Re-Thinking Reason: New Perspectives in Critical Thinking
Walters, Kerry S. (1998). Benjamin Franklin and His Gods
Walters, Kerry S. (1999). Spirituality of the Handmaid: A Model for Contemporary Seekers
Walters, Kerry S. & Lisa Portmess (1999). Ethical Vegetarianism: From Pythagoras to Peter Singer
Walters, Kerry S. (2000). Godlust: Facing the Demonic, Embracing the Divine
Walters, Kerry S. (2000). Brother Lawrence and the Russian Pilgrim: Praying Ceaselessly
Walters, Kerry S. (2001). Soul Wilderness: A Desert Spirituality
Walters, Kerry S. (2001). Growing God: A Guide for Spiritual Gardeners
Walters, Kerry S. (2001). Practicing Presence: The Spirituality of Caring in Everyday Life
Walters, Kerry S. & Lisa Portmess (2001). Religious Vegetarianism: From Hesiod to the Dalai Lama
Walters, Kerry S. (2001). Can War Be Just? (William Bittinger Chair of Philosophy Inaugural Lecture pamphlet)
Walters, Kerry S. (2002). Finding Perfect Joy with St. Francis of Assisi: 30 Reflections
Walters, Kerry S. (2001). Rufus Jones: Essential Writings
Walters, Kerry S. (2003). Jacob's Hip: Finding God in an Anxious Age
Walters, Kerry S. (2005). Merciful Meekness: Becoming a Spiritually Integrated Person
Walters, Kerry S. (2006). Franklin and His Gods (Templeton Foundation pamphlet)
Walters, Kerry S. (2008). Practicing Peace (Forward Movement pamphlet)
Walters, Kerry S. (2008). After War, Is Faith Possible? The Life and Message of Geoffrey "Woodine Willie" Studdert Kennedy
Walters, Kerry S. (2010). Atheism: A Guide for the Perplexed
Walters, Kerry S. (2010). Revolutionary Deists: America's Rational Infidels
Walters, Kerry S. (2011). The Art of Dying and Living
Walters, Kerry S. (2011). Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason: Critical Edition
Walters, Kerry S. (2012). Vegetarianism: A Guide for the Perplexed
Walters, Kerry S. (2012). The Underground Railroad
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). John Locke's Letter Concerning Toleration: Critical Edition
Walters, Kerry S. & Robin Jarrell. (2013). Blessed Peacemakers: 365 Extraordinary People Who Changed the World
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). Giving Up God...to Find God: Breaking Free of Idolatry
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). John Locke's Letter on Toleration: Critical Edition
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). Abraham Lincoln, the Rise of the Republicans, and the Coming of the Civil War
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). Explosion on the Potomac: The 1844 Calamity aboard the USS Princeton
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). Critical edition of H.R.L. Sheppard's We Say No! The Plain Man's Guide to Pacifism
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). John XXIII: A Short Biography
Walters, Kerry S. (2013). John Paul II: A Short Biography
Walters, Kerry S. (2014). Profiles in Christian Courage: Extraordinary Inspiration for Everyday Life
Walters, Kerry S. (2014). Outbreak in Washington, DC: The 1857 Mystery of the National Hotel Disease
Walters, Kerry S. (2015). Junipero Serra: A Short Biography
Walters, Kerry S. (2015). American Slave Revolts and Conspiracies
Walters, Kerry S. (2016). Perfect Joy: 30 Days with Francis of Assisi
Walters, Kerry S. (2016). St. Teresa of Calcutta: Missionary, Mother, Mystic
