James Patterson is an Associate Professor in the Institute of American Civics at the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He specializes in race, religion, and American political thought and is a regular subject-area expert for the media on contemporary religion and politics.

Patterson is the author of Religion in the Public Square: Sheen, King, Falwell and co-author of a forthcoming book examining the problems with postliberalism alongside Thomas Howe. His works have appeared in American Political Thought, Perspectives on Political Science, Political Science Reviewer, and the Journal of Church and State. He also contributes articles to and hosts a podcast for Law & Liberty. Patterson holds a Ph.D. in politics from the University of Virginia.