Associate Professor Tom Aechtner
Associate Professor

Tom Aechtner

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52823

Background

Research Interests

Associate Professor Aechtner's research analyses religion and science scepticism and science-religion discourse, with a focus on vaccine hesitancy, antievolutionism, scientism, mass persuasion, and public perceptions of science. He also has secondary research interests associated with religion in the African diaspora, Pentecostalism, and Global Christianity.

Current Research Project

Tom has been a Westpac Research Fellow and a UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award recipient on the project “Improving Vaccination Rates in Australia: Analysing Media, Religion and Policy.” This has involved researching Australian-specific sources of vaccine hesitancy, including media persuasion and religious concerns, while considering how to positively deliver vaccination information.

Availability

Associate Professor Tom Aechtner is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Alberta
  • Masters (Research), University of Calgary
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Oxford

Research interests

  • Religion and Science

  • Science scepticism

  • Antievolution

  • Creationism and Intelligent Design

  • Vaccine Hesitancy

  • Antivaccination

Research impacts

Associate Professor Aechtner created AVAXX101, the first massive open online course dedicated to responding to antivaccination claims and vaccine hesitancy. He has also served as a technical advisor to Queensland Health’s Strategic Communications Branch, and he designed UQ’s VaccinationChoice website. Tom’s book, Media and Science-Religion Conflict: Mass Persuasion in the Evolution Wars (2020), won the International Society for Science & Religion’s 2021 prize for best academic book. His most recent book is Antivaccination and Vaccine Hesitancy: A Professional Guide to Foster Trust and Tackle Misinformation. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, an MA from the University of Calgary, and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Alberta.

Search Professor Tom Aechtner’s works on UQ eSpace

35 works between 2009 and 2024
All (35) Journal Article (19) Book Chapter (11) Book (3) Other Outputs (2)

21 - 35 of 35 works

2019

Book Chapter

Teaching warfare: Conflict and complexity in contemporary university textbooks

Aechtner, Thomas H. (2019). Teaching warfare: Conflict and complexity in contemporary university textbooks. Rethinking History, Science, and Religion: An Exploration of Conflict and the Complexity Principle. (pp. 160-180) edited by Bernard Lightman. Pittsburgh, United States: University of Pittsburgh Press.

Teaching warfare: Conflict and complexity in contemporary university textbooks

2018

Journal Article

Science and religion perspectives at St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT)

Aechtner, Thomas and Buchanan, Malcolm S. (2018). Science and religion perspectives at St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT). Journal of Contemporary Religion, 33 (2), 337-345. doi: 10.1080/13537903.2018.1469280

Science and religion perspectives at St. John’s University of Tanzania (SJUT)

2018

Journal Article

Vaishnavism, antievolutionism, and ambiguities: revisiting ISKCON's Darwin-skepticism

Zambon, Oliver and Aechtner, Thomas (2018). Vaishnavism, antievolutionism, and ambiguities: revisiting ISKCON's Darwin-skepticism. Zygon, 53 (1), 67-94. doi: 10.1111/zygo.12395

Vaishnavism, antievolutionism, and ambiguities: revisiting ISKCON's Darwin-skepticism

2018

Book Chapter

Social scientists

Aechtner, Thomas (2018). Social scientists. The Warfare between Science and Religion: The Idea That Wouldn’t Die. (pp. 302-323) edited by Jeff Hardin, Ronald L. Numbers and Ronald A. Binzley. Baltimore MD, United States: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Social scientists

2016

Journal Article

Terrorism in the evolution wars: mass media and human nature

Aechtner, Tom (2016). Terrorism in the evolution wars: mass media and human nature. Theology and Science, 14 (4), 495-517. doi: 10.1080/14746700.2016.1231983

Terrorism in the evolution wars: mass media and human nature

2016

Journal Article

Challenging the Darwin skeptics: examining proevolutionist media persuasion

Aechtner, Thomas (2016). Challenging the Darwin skeptics: examining proevolutionist media persuasion. Journal of Media and Religion, 15 (2), 78-99. doi: 10.1080/15348423.2016.1177346

Challenging the Darwin skeptics: examining proevolutionist media persuasion

2015

Journal Article

Galileo still goes to jail: conflict model persistence within introductory anthropology materials

Aechtner, Thomas (2015). Galileo still goes to jail: conflict model persistence within introductory anthropology materials. Zygon, 50 (1), 209-226. doi: 10.1111/zygo.12149

Galileo still goes to jail: conflict model persistence within introductory anthropology materials

2015

Book

Health, wealth, and power in an African diaspora church in Canada

Aechtner, Tom (2015). Health, wealth, and power in an African diaspora church in Canada. New York, NY, United States: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/9781137485496

Health, wealth, and power in an African diaspora church in Canada

2014

Book Chapter

Christianity and Science: A Messy Relationship Worth Studying

Aechtner, Tom (2014). Christianity and Science: A Messy Relationship Worth Studying. Christianity for the Curious: Why Study Christianity?. (pp. xx-xx) edited by Vaidya, Kishor. online: Curious Academic Publishing.

Christianity and Science: A Messy Relationship Worth Studying

2014

Journal Article

Darwin-skeptic mass media: examining persuasion in the evolution wars

Aechtner, Thomas (2014). Darwin-skeptic mass media: examining persuasion in the evolution wars. Journal of Media and Religion, 13 (4), 187-207. doi: 10.1080/15348423.2014.971559

Darwin-skeptic mass media: examining persuasion in the evolution wars

2012

Book Chapter

Standing at the crux: pentecostalism and identity formation in an African diaspora Christian community

Aechtner, Thomas H. (2012). Standing at the crux: pentecostalism and identity formation in an African diaspora Christian community. Global Pentecostal movements: migration, mission, and public religion. (pp. 171-194) edited by Michael Wilkinson. Boston, United States: Brill.

Standing at the crux: pentecostalism and identity formation in an African diaspora Christian community

2011

Journal Article

Review of 'Science and the spirit: a Pentecostal engagement with the sciences' edited by James K. A. Smith and Amos Young

Aechtner, Thomas H (2011). Review of 'Science and the spirit: a Pentecostal engagement with the sciences' edited by James K. A. Smith and Amos Young. Canadian Journal of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, 2 (1), 166-170..

Review of 'Science and the spirit: a Pentecostal engagement with the sciences' edited by James K. A. Smith and Amos Young

2010

Journal Article

Online in the evolution wars: an analysis of young earth creationist cyber-propaganda

Aechtner, Thomas H. (2010). Online in the evolution wars: an analysis of young earth creationist cyber-propaganda. Australian Religion Studies Review, 23 (3), 277-300. doi: 10.1558/arsr.v23i3.277

Online in the evolution wars: an analysis of young earth creationist cyber-propaganda

2010

Journal Article

Review - God: the failed hypothesis: how science shows that God does not exist, by Victor J. Stenger

Aechtner, Thomas H (2010). Review - God: the failed hypothesis: how science shows that God does not exist, by Victor J. Stenger. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 4 (3), 231-232. doi: 10.1558/jsrnc.v4i3.231

Review - God: the failed hypothesis: how science shows that God does not exist, by Victor J. Stenger

2009

Journal Article

Review of 'Saving Creation: Nature and Faith in the Life of Holmes Rolston III', by Christopher J. Preston

Aechtner, Thomas H (2009). Review of 'Saving Creation: Nature and Faith in the Life of Holmes Rolston III', by Christopher J. Preston. Theological Book Review, 21 (2), 62-63.

Review of 'Saving Creation: Nature and Faith in the Life of Holmes Rolston III', by Christopher J. Preston

Current funding

  • 2019 - 2024
    The Queensland Atlas of Religion
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2023
    Science and Religion Exploring the Spectrum: A Global Perspective (Templeton Religious Trust Grant led by the University of Birmingham)
    University of Birmingham
    Open grant
  • 2019
    Religion and Vaccine Hesitancies in Australia: A Survey of Social Attitudes
    UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Improving Vaccination Rates in Australia: Analysing Media, Religion and Policy
    Westpac Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2017
    Immunisation Hesitancies: Analysing Religion, Persuasion, and Anti-Vaccination Media in Australia
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Evolution, Atheism, and Mass Persuasion: The Uses and Abuses of Biology in New Atheist Propaganda
    The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor Tom Aechtner is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Technologies of Presence: Practices of Mediation among Pentecostals in Queensland

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Ryan Williams

  • Doctor Philosophy

    An Investigation into the socio-cultural and/or religious influences on Young Earth Creationism in Queensland in the 1970s and early 1980s

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Peter Harrison, Dr Ryan Williams

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Islam and Queensland: assessing generational patterns

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Ryan Williams

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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