Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Bolek Kabala

Meet Dr. Bolek Kabala

Degrees and Experience
  • Ph.D., Political Science (Yale University)
  • M.A., Political Science (Yale University)
  • M.Phil., Political Science (Yale University)
  • A.B., Social Studies (Harvard University)
Biography and Professional Achievements

Dr. Bolek Kabala is honored to serve as assistant professor of American politics in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Colorado Christian University. A naturalized American citizen, who immigrated from, at the time, communist Poland, he grew up and has lived in many states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, North Caroline, Connecticut, Texas, and now Colorado. He attended the Groton School in Massachusetts and was recognized by President Bill Clinton in 1999 as one of 143 recipients of the Presidential Scholar Medal. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard with a degree in social studies, he went on to serve as deputy press secretary for Governor Haley Barbour. Kabala proceeded to complete two master's degrees and his Ph.D. at Yale, where his work explored the dynamic interplay between politics and religion from the 17th century to today. Kabala gained further experience as a post-doctoral research associate at the James Madison Program at Princeton University. 

Before teaching at Colorado Christian University, Kabala taught upper-level and introductory courses in political science, history, and philosophy at public and private universities, including North Carolina State, Tarleton State, Abilene Christian, Liberty, and North Carolina Wesleyan. He is the lead editor of the interdisciplinary volume Augustine in a Time of Crisis: Politics and Religion Contested, and he is published in Perspectives on Politics, Political Research Quarterly, History of European Ideas, Humanities, the Vienna Journal on International Constitutional Law, Laws, Philosophies, and Religions. His research has centered on the Christian underpinnings of overlapping consensus strategies to rebuild norms in a globally unsettled time. Kabala strongly believes that integrating political theory and practice is important, and so he appreciates the commitment of Colorado Christian University to a true culture of civic engagement, in which multiple voices are represented in the classroom and in campus conversations. He is passionate about mentorship that connects students with internships and opportunities in public life.

Publications
  • Kabala, B. Z., N. Pinkoski, and A. Menchaca-Bagnulo (editors). 2021. Augustine in a Time of Crisis: Politics and Religion Contested, edited volume, Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK, pp. 470; ISBN: 978-3-030-61484-3; e-version published 1 March 2021, print version published 26 March 2021.
  • Kabala, B. Z., E. V. Morrow, and C. Dalton-Hartness (Liberty University Ph.D. exp. 2023), 2022. “Between Public Justification and Civil Religion: Pursuing Shared Values in a Divided Time,” Religions, invited, in review; 41 pages
  • Kabala, B. Z., and T. Cook (Liberty University Ph.D. exp. 2023), 2022. “Hobbes and Spinoza on Sovereign Education,” Philosophies 7(1), 6; 8 January 2022; 27 pages.
  • Kabala, B. Z., and M. Hallgarth 2021. “R2P and Empire: On Dan Kovalik’s No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using ‘Humanitarian’ Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests, and How Principled Realism Will Reduce Domination Around the World,” Israel Law Review, 54(3): 369-389.
  • Kabala, B. Z., and R. Johnson (Tarleton State University B.A. 2021) 2021. “An American Notwithstanding Clause? Between Potestas and Potentia,” Laws, 10(3), Art. # 72; Sep 2021; 24 pages.
  • Kabala, B. Z., A. Menchaca-Bagnulo, and N. Pinkoski, 2021. “Editors' Introduction” in B. Z. Kabala, A. Menchaca-Bagnulo, and N. Pinkoski (editors), Augustine in a Time of Crisis: Politics and Religion Contested, Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK, pp. 1-14
  • Kabala, B. Z., and C. Morefield (Tarleton State University B.A. 2021) 2021. “Speech and Silence: Republican Toleration in Augustine” in B. Z. Kabala, N. Pinkoski, and A. Menchaca-Bagnulo (editors), Augustine in a Time of Crisis: Politics and Religion Contested, Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK, pp. 283-302.
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2020. “Rousseau and the Qualified Support for Matriarchal Rule,” Humanities, 9(3), Art. # 99; 19 pages.
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2020. “Judicial Review vs. Supremacy: the Connection to 17th Century Debate and a Dilemma for Today,” ICL Journal - Vienna Journal on International Constitutional Law, 14(1): 71-102.
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2020. “Augustine and Contemporary Republicanism: on Speech as Domination,” Political Research Quarterly, 73(1): 15-26.
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2019. “Return of the Intolerant Hobbes,” History of European Ideas, 45(6): 785-802.
Book Reviews
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2022. “America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding,” by Robert R. Reilly. Ignatius Press, 2021. 408 pp. Paper Back $18.95, ISBN 978-1621645016, Colorado Christian University Review, commissioned, Dec 2021
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2021. “Review of Potentia: Hobbes and Spinoza on Power and Popular Politics,” by Sandra Leonie Field. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. 277 pp. Hard Cover $43.56, ISBN 978-0-1-97528242, Perspectives on Politics, 19(2): 613-14
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2021. “Review of The Socratic Method Today: Student-Centered and Transformative Teaching in Political Science,” edited by Lee Trepanier. Routledge, 2018, $152.52, ISBN 978-0-8153-7188-5,” Journal of Political Science Education, 17(1): 165-169
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2020. “Review of Abortion Politics,” by Ziad Munson. Polity Press, 2018, $64.95, ISBN 978 0 745 68878 7, Political Studies Review, 18(2): NP3-NP5, First Online 16 May 2019
  • Kabala, B. Z., 2019. “Review of Beyond Abortion: Roe v. Wade and the Battle for Privacy,” by Mary Ziegler. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2018. 383pp. Hard Cover $45, ISBN-10: 978067497 6702, Law and Politics Book Review (Sponsored by APSA Law & Courts Section), 29(7): 75-78