Author: dustinjbyrd

Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Olivet College; Critical Theorist; Founder and Editor-and-Chief of Ekpyrosis Press; Editor-and-Chief of Islamic Perspective Journal

The University of Olivet in Italy 2026

From April 27th to May 10th, I led a group of students and friends on a journey to Italy to study Medieval and Renaissance Christianity. We began our trip in Venice, where we studied Venetian mercantilism, the history of the Doges, as well as the history of this unique water-bound city. We took a day trip to Padua to visit the Scrovegni Chapel as well as the Basilica of San Anthony. From Venice, we traveled to Florence, where we studied Dante Alighieri, Niccolò Machiavelli, Savonarola, and the Medicis. We visited the Santa Maria del Fiori, the Franciscan church of Santa Croce, the Uffizi Galleries, as well as the Galleria dell ’Accademia. By chance, while standing in line to visit the Museum of San Marco, I ran into the American travel guru, Rick Steves, with whom I had a wonderful conversation. He was there to update his Florence guidebook; I was there to see the martyr Savonarola. We had a wonderful concert of Pachelbel, Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi. Leaving Tuscany, we traveled to Assisi, to study the life of St. Francis and St. Clare. This year has been declared the year of St. Francis by Pope Leo XIV, since it was 800 years ago that St. Francis died. Leaving Umbria, we traveled to Rome. While the students were all exhausted, we continued our studies, visiting the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Roman Forum, the Capitoline Museum, The Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. We also spent some time at the catacombs of San Callixtus. In Rome, we saw our second concert, a mix of opera arias at an Episcopal Church. We had wonderful guides, wonderful dinners, and wonderful conversations. Overall, we had an amazing trip, which I hope the students learned a lot. Thank you, Witte Travel and Tours, for constructing this successful travel class.

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The Polycrisis of our Age: A Discourse in the Philippines

On April 18, 2026, I had the wonderful opportunity to join the PAGMANGNO series of seminars held by the Philosophy Circle of the Philippines – Legazpi Chapter. In its 20th iteration, PAGMANGNO XX adopted the theme, “Philosophy in the Time of Authoritarian Regimes,” highlighting the importance of philosophy in times where actions and thoughts are being suppressed. I would like to thank my dear brother Hadje Cresencio Sadje who initiated the invitation, as well as the amazing students who had excellent questions.

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African American Music in the Struggle for Existence in the United States

On April 8th, 2026, I gave a presentation on the centrality of music within the African American struggle within the United States. Tracing the “tenacious recalcitrance” of African Americans back to the spirit of West Africa, I argued that such recalcitrance animated the music of enslaved African Americans in the antebellum South to the Jim Crow period, through the Civil Rights struggle unto the Black Power movement, a spirit which was once again reborn in the music of the 1990s. I pressed the students once again to rediscover that “tenacious recalcitrance” in the music they listen to and that they perform, and to allow such meaningful music to be the soundtrack of their lifeworld – pushing them to achieve greater things in this life beyond the trappings of comfort and conspicuous consumption. The invitation to speak came from the men of Alpha XI Omega “Elite,” an amazing fraternity on campus, advised by Prof. Laura Barlond-Maas. I was joined on stage by UO President Steven Corey, Dr. Linda Logan, and the men of Elite, who discussed numerous Black musicians who contributed to the struggle for equality, dignity, and freedom. The pictures below were taken by the student Sydney Lynch (Sigma Beta) and Dr. Linda Logan.

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Institute for Critical Social Theory Conference in Istanbul, July 8-10, 2026

The Institute for Critical Social Theory has released its Call for Papers for the 2026 conference at Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey. The theme of this year’s conference is “Critical Social Theory in an Age of Global Uncertainty.” We, the organizers, would love to see you all there. Send us an abstract! For more details, see the full Call for Papers below:

ICST – Call for Papers 2026Download
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New Publication in Critical Perspectives

Critical Perspectives, the journal of the Institute for Critical Social Theory, has just released Vol. 1, no. 2. It was published in December by Ekpyrosis Press. In it I have an article entitled, “Ali Shariati and the Foundations of Islamic Socialism: Muhammad, Capitalism, and the Post-Metaphysical Socialist Alternative.” I also wrote a book review of Jack El-Hai’s The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Herman Göring, Dr. Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal meeting of Minds at the End of the WWII.

You can purchase a physical copy for $20 here: Critical Perspectives Vol. 1, no. 2.

Or, a free download can be found here:

Critical Perspectives – Vol 1, no. 2 Download
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A Discussion of Gholamhossein Ebrahimi Dinani in Tehran

Just before the internet was shut off in Iran during the nationwide protests, I gave a short address on the Iranian philosopher, Gholamhossein Ebrahimi Dinani, at the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studied in Tehran. Dinani is a towering figure in Iranian philosophy, yet is not well known in the West, which is a crime. The address was in conjunction with the publication of Dinani’s book, “The I and the Non-I: Beyond Subjectivism and Nihilism,” published by Ekpyrosis Press. The book was translated from Farsi to English by Seyed Javad Miri, and I wrote the foreword. The article below is about my talk and there is an audio link below through which you can listen to my talk.

Dinani’s Work Reminds us the Philosophy is not a Dead Discipline.

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On the Radio discussing the Psychology of Trump and his devotees

On January 28, 2026, I had the great honor to join Kevin M. DeJesus on his radio show, The Compass on 990WBOB. We discussed my book, The Dark Charisma of Donald Trump: Political Psychology and the MAGA Movement, published by Ekpyrosis Press. I explained why political psychology and/or psychoanalytic political theory is more helpful for understanding the presidency of Donald Trump as opposed to political philosophy, due to the fact that Donald Trump has no coherent ideology. If you’d like to listen to the episode or download it, see the link below.

The Compass: The Psychology of MAGA

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Celebrating MLK; Talking about Justice

On Wednesday, January 21st, I had the distinct pleasure to be a speaker at the 2nd annual Symposium of the Hiram Archer Student Success Academy (HASSA) at The University of Olivet. I spoke on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s conception of Justice, and why it is needed in the world today, as we, like Dr. King, live in a time of despair, a time of troubles, and a time wherein faith in our ability to govern ourselves with justice for all is disintegrating. I joined President Dr. Steven Corey, Author and Speaker DeAndre Carter, Oakland University’s Dr. Tonya Bailey and her amazing husband Lee Bailey, as well as the unconquerable recording artist, LaQuisha Burries-Finn. We also had the pleasure of listening to the UO Gospel Choir and the violinist, Rodney Page. This was a tremendous event, one wherein the spirit of Dr. King emanated through all the speakers and performers.

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