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Matthew Denney
Postdoctoral Fellow, SNF Agora Institute and P3 Lab at Johns Hopkins University
Matthew Denney is a postdoctoral fellow at the SNF Agora Institute and P3 Lab at Johns Hopkins University.13 He recently completed his PhD in Political Science from Yale University in May 2023.34
Academic Background
Matthew Denney's academic journey includes:
Research Interests
His research focuses on:
- Race
- Politics
- Religion2
Current Position
After graduating from Yale, Matthew Denney started his position as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University in September 2023.4 He is affiliated with both the SNF Agora Institute and the P3 Lab at the university.13
Additional Information
Matthew Denney has been recognized as a Harvey Fellow by The 28twelve Foundation, which supports Christian graduate students in their academic pursuits.5 This fellowship program aims to foster individuals who can make significant contributions in their fields while maintaining a strong faith perspective.
It's worth noting that Matthew Denney's work at Johns Hopkins University likely involves interdisciplinary research, as the P3 Lab team comprises researchers from various backgrounds, including sociology, public health, political science, and data science.1
Highlights
For the last 5 years, I’ve lived in the Newhallville neighborhood of New Haven, a historic Black neighborhood in the city. It’s been an incredible source of vitality and community. Our neighbors are incredible, resilient, full of joy. They have loved me and my family in ways we could never have imagined or deserved.
Our neighborhood has also experienced grave injustice, racism, violence, and a lack of positive investment. If you walk over the hill to the wealthy (and mostly White) neighborhood a few blocks away, the life expectancy goes from 72 to 83 years. That’s shocking. Less than a quarter mile and 11 years of life. The average income, educational level, and other indicators show similar disparities, correlates and causes of that 11-year gap.
We also see this in housing. The homeownership rate in Newhallville is 25%, and 60% of people are housing cost burdened. And many of those who are insecure are living in substandard housing. This is part of why we launched the Jubilee Project: to address longstanding disparities in the context of deep relational and spiritual wholeness.
Jubilee in the Christian story entails a great resetting, where wrongs are made right and communities are restored and rejuvenated. That is what we hope to work toward on our block, in Newhallville, in New Haven.
You can joy us in this work. Here are three ways you can get involved:
Pray: We believe that prayer changes us as it calibrates our heart to what is most true and good and beautiful. And, we believe it changes the world, sparking movement and change in ways that seem impossible.
Participate: You can show up to see what’s going on if you’re in New Haven. We are hosting our annual block party on September 30th, and you can see the vibrancy and joy of what’s going on here. We also host periodic worship nights, and all are welcome.
Partner: We strategically deploy capital to create alternative opportunities for long-term residents to pay less for their home, own instead of rent, and develop a sense of longevity in the face of escalating costs. We currently are under contract to buy a long-vacant house on our block, with plans to renovate and sell it affordably. But this requires capital, and we have until October 15th to close on the house. We’re looking for people who can loan financial capital (with an interest rate of your choice from 0% to 6%). You can partner with us–whether by lending (or giving) $10 or $10,000–and invest your resources to produce holistic impact. See the link below for more information.
If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved in any of these ways, you can reach out to me at [email protected] or fill out the form on our website.
https://lnkd.in/eQ68jBrp
After graduating from Yale in May with my PhD in political science, I am excited to announce that I’ve started a position as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University in the SNF Agora Institute and P3 Lab. I cannot thank enough all the people who have supported me along the way in this journey, and I am pumped for the work I get to do in this new role—researching and writing on race, churches, policing, housing, and more. I’ll be working mostly from New Haven, where we will continue to be rooted in our community and neighborhood here. I’ll also be continuing my work in leading the Jubilee Project, seeking holistic flourishing in Newhallville through spiritual, relational, and physical wholeness.
