Stephen Prothero
Born	(1960-11-13)November 13, 1960 (age 64) Cooperstown, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Religious studies scholar
Spouse	Meera Subramanian
Academic background
Alma mater	Yale University Harvard University
Thesis	Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907) and the construction of "Protestant Buddhism" (1990)
Doctoral advisor	William R. Hutchison
Academic work
Discipline	Comparative religion U.S. religious history
Website	www.stephenprothero.com

Stephen Richard Prothero (/ˈproʊðəroʊ/; born November 13, 1960) is an Americanscholar of religion. He is the C. Allyn and Elizabeth V. Russell Professor Emeritus of Religion in America atBoston University^[1] and the author or editor of eleven books on religion in the United States, including theNew York Times bestsellerReligious Literacy.

Prothero has argued for mandatory public-schoolbiblical literacy courses (along the lines of the Bible Literacy Project'sThe Bible and Its Influence), along with mandatory courses on world religions.^[2] He delivered the William Belden Noble Lectures at Harvard University on November 18–20, 2008, on the topic: “The Work of Doing Nothing: Wandering as Practice and Play."^[3] On the matter of his own personal beliefs, Prothero describes himself as "religiously confused".^[4][5]

Prothero was born in Cooperstown, New York, on 13 November 1960, the son of "Dr. and Mrs. S. Richard Prothero".^[6] He was the valedictorian of his Barnstable High School class in Hyannis, Massachusetts, in June 1978. In June 1982 he received his B.A. in American Studies fromYale College,summa cum laude and with distinction. In 1986 he received his M.A. in Study of Religion at Harvard University. On 25 April 1990 he completed his Ph.D. there onHenry Steel Olcott (1832–1907) and the construction of "Protestant Buddhism." His supervisor was Professor William R. Hutchison.^[6]

• God the Bestseller: How One Editor Transformed American Religion a Book at a Time (2023,ISBN 978-0-06-246404-0)
• Religion Matters: An Introduction to the World's Religions (2020,ISBN 978-0-39-342204-7)
• Why Liberals Win The Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections) (2016,ISBN 978-0-06-157129-9)
• The American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation (2012,ISBN 978-0-06-212343-5)
• God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World—and Why Their Differences Matter (2010,ISBN 978-0-06-157127-5)
• Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know—and Doesn't (2007,ISBN 0-06-084670-4)
• A Nation of Religions: The Politics of Pluralism in Multireligious America (2006,ISBN 0-8078-5770-X)
• American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon (2003,ISBN 0-374-52956-6)
• Purified by Fire: A History of Cremation in America (2001,ISBN 0-520-23688-2)
• Asian Religions in America: A Documentary History, co-edited with Thomas A. Tweed (1998,ISBN 978-0-19-511339-6)
• The White Buddhist: The Asian Odyssey of Henry Steel Olcott (1996,ISBN 0-520-23688-2)

• Official website
• Appearances onC-SPAN

• American religion academics
• 21st-century American historians
• 21st-century American male writers
• American religious writers
• Boston University faculty
• Living people
• Harvard University alumni
• Yale University alumni
• 1960 births
• American male non-fiction writers

• CS1 maint: archived copy as title
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards
• People appearing on C-SPAN