Matthew Stanley's CV
Areas of Specialty: Psychoanalytic Theory, Christian Theology
Areas of Competence: The Kyoto School, Slavoj Žižek, Nietzsche, Foucault
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy – Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)
(August 2014 to May 2018) – Graduated with 3.49 GPA
Publications
Journal Articles
“It was nothing: Heidegger and the Kyoto School on Anxiety and Nothingness” in Dianoia: The Undergraduate Philosophy Journal of Boston College, Issue V (Spring 2018). (Read here)
Books/Chapters
Forthcoming “Renewing Liberation Theology under Capitalist Conditions” in Rosy Cross, edited by Cadell Last. Philosophy Portal (Summer 2026).
Forthcoming “The Schooling Industry: How Institutions Reproduce” in Theory Underground Education anthology, edited by David McKerracher. Theory Underground (Fall 2025).
Forthcoming: “From Esoteric to Exoteric (and back again?)” in Writing for (a) First Cause, edited by Cadell Last. Philosophy Portal (Summer 2025). (Read here)
“Hegel and the Lateralized Brain” in Logic for the Global Brain, edited by Cadell Last. Philosophy Portal (September 2024). (Purchase here) (Read here)
Ideology and Christian Freedom: a theo-political reading of Shusaku Endo’s Silence. Amazon KDP (February 6, 2024). (Buy paperback) (Buy eBook).
Every Sunset is a Moonrise: Faith, Poetry, Finitude. Amazon KDP (January 1, 2024). (Buy paperback) (Buy eBook)
“Postmodernity and the Structures of Creaturely Life” in Philosophy and the Christian, edited by Joseph Minich. The Davenant Press (2018). (Read here)
Conferences/Presentations
“When Freedom isn’t Liberating: Practicing Christian Freedom in a Post-Disciplinary Society” paper presentation at “What is Christian Freedom?” conference organized by The Davenant Institute in Charlotte, NC on June 7, 2025.
“Love is Beyond Good and Evil” lecture on Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil delivered virtually to 11th-12th graders at Trinity Classical School (Bellingham, WA), April 16th, 2025.
“Renewing Liberation Theology under Capitalist conditions” presented on April 13, 2025 at “Rosy Cross 2” conference hosted by Philosophy Portal (Watch recording here).
“Is speech liberating today? Reckoning with Foucault’s critique” talk delivered to the Sacramento Psychoanalytic Society on February 28, 2025.
“De-programming the Schooled Subject with Illich and Lacan'' delivered at Theory Underground Conference (TUCON 2024), Oct 2024.
“An Inconsolable Demand: Lament, Desire, Hope” for private invited workshops hosted by the Princeton Initiative for Catholic Thought, April 6, 2024 in Princeton, NJ. (Read here)
“Transitional Discourses: On the Exoteric and the Esoteric” presented at “Writing for (a) First Cause,” hosted by Philosophy Portal on February 24-25, 2024. (Watch recording here)
“Christ, Creation, and Humanity: An Eco-Theological Reading of John Scottus Eriugena” presented on the undergraduate panel organized by University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL) at the 52nd International Congress of Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, MI in May 2017. (Listen here)
“The Covenant Book: A Barthian Theory of Inerrancy” - Fall Student Lecture Series at Wheaton College (IL), December 2016. (Listen here)
Online/Print Publications
“What is Desire?” in Agony Magazine The Feast of Saint Augustine, Volume IV (released August 2024). – Learn more
"What is a Protestant? Its History, Beliefs, and Impacts" in Word by Word, for Logos.com
"Spiritual Warfare: What it is, what it's not & how to fight (according to the Bible)" in Word by Word, for Logos.com
"What is the Spiritual Body in 1 Corinthians 15?" in Word by Word, for Logos.com
Podcast appearances
The Flâneur and the Philosopher, hosted by Joel Carini
Philosophy Portal, hosted by Cadell Last
O.G. Rose, hosted by Dan and Michelle Garner
- Episode #209: Matthew Stanley on the Violence of Care and Bureaucratic Power (2025)
- Episode #125: Dreaming as Thinking, Meaningful Symbols, and Us-in-Our World (2023)
- Episode #109: Matthew Stanley, Javier Rivera, Daniel Zaruba on Clearings, Lacks, Wounds, & Openings (2023)
- Episode #105: Idols & Egos, Japan, Nietzsche’s Promise, Theology, & Hermeneutics (2023)
TheoryUnderground, hosted by David McKerracher
- Interview on Monthly livestream: September 2024
- Interview on Monthly livestream: October 2024
- ((voices)) series, reading Heidegger with David (1)
- Forthcoming: "Title" on "What's Right?" with David and Anne McKerracher
Other media
Samsara Diagnostics is a reader-supported newsletter which I write on religion, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. It has run since January 2023, and now comprises over 55 essays. Samsara Diagnostics has over 125 subscribers, 400+ Twitter followers, and an average newsletter open-rate above 50%.
Samsara Audio, the audio/visual division of Samsara Diagnostics, hosts conversations with thinkers and researchers on religion, philosophy, and psychoanalysis. It currently comprises two seasons and 13 episodes in total. While the podcast is currently on hiatus, you can find the entire back catalog on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Professional Memberships
Board Member – Sacramento Psychoanalytic Society
Member – Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies
Languages
English (Native Fluency)
Koine Greek (Translate Biblical texts with aid from resources)
German (Studied casually since August 2023 using Duolingo)
Professional Experience
Teaching experience
“Introduction to Cybernetic Theory,” a five-part seminar co-taught online with Joseph W Turner at Incite Seminars from July 8, 2025 to August 12, 2025 (Learn more).
“The Violence of Care: A Critical Study of Bureaucratic Power,” a four-part seminar taught online at Incite Seminars from Feb 27-Mar 27, 2025 (Learn more).
“The Art of Exit: The Poetry and Politics of Reclusion in Medieval Japan,” a three-part seminar taught at Incite Seminars from May 4th to May 18th. (Learn more here)
Paid research experience
Compiled and formatted index for Patrick Stefan’s The Power of Resurrection: Foucault, Discipline, and Early Christian Resistance (Fortress Academic, 2019).
Teacher’s assistant to Dr. Seth Ehorn at Wheaton College (IL) (August 2016 - December 2017)
- Graded quizzes and exams
- Assisted with formatting and assembling bibliography for academic monograph
Teacher’s assistant to Dr. Vincent Bacote at Wheaton College (IL) (August 2015 - May 2018)
- Graded quizzes and exams
Other professional experience
Solutions Engineer – Veoci, Remote – (January 2025 - Current)
Design, build, and configure software solutions for emergency management teams to run their operations using Veoci's no-code platform.
- Ensuring a smooth and timely implementation of Veoci for new customers
- Gathering, interpreting, and acting on complex client requirements
- Developing bespoke solutions to meet needs for emergency management teams
Implementation Specialist – Submittable, Remote – (June 2022 - December 2024)
Launch and support new Submittable customers, mostly nonprofits and government agencies, by building programs, training their teams, and consulting on best practices for grant design and program management.
- Supporting the change management and training for new clients
- Working independently to own 12-18 client launches at any time
- Collaborating with Success to ensure a smooth client handoff
Onboarding Team Leader – Brivity, Bellingham, WA – (August 2020 - June 2022)
Lead the onboarding team at a fast-growing prop-tech startup, growing the team from 5 to 13, all while improving and standardizing processes.
- Hit and exceeded monthly goals for customers launched
- Handled saves, red flags, and white glove accounts
- Project management for client website design and launch
Research Analyst – XBE, LLC, Chicago, IL – (May 2018 - May 2020)
Supported operations at a tech startup serving asphalt contractors. Hands on with implementation, bug reporting, and continuous improvement.
- Process discovery, implementation, training, success, support
- Collaborate with devs to scope new features and resolve bugs
- Data and chart analysis for improving customer operations
Also, a graduate of Thunder Valley Casino's blackjack dealer school (Class 92b)
For more about me and my experience, find my LinkedIn here.