Tucker J. Gregor is a PhD Candidate (ABD) in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies. He is a scholar of religion and moral philosophy specializing in Christian ethics, virtue theory, the theoretical and ethical study of emotion and affect, and interdisciplinary approaches to love. Gregor’s work engages a wide range of conversations in and beyond the field of Religious Studies, specifically regarding moral agency and the limits of freedom. 

In his dissertation, Gregor argues that the potential for individual and collective flourishing depends on how persons relate to their human vulnerability. He aims to provide a more subtle conception of human vulnerability and its role in the moral life, especially regarding virtuous love.

Tucker graduated from University of San Diego in 2017 with a B.A. in Theology/Religious Studies and Psychology. He continued his education and earned an M.A. in Divinity at University of Chicago in 2019. He then spent two years teaching Catholic theology at the high school level before entering the Ph.D. program in Religious Studies at University of Iowa in Fall 2021. Gregor received a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies in Spring 2025. He is advised by Dr. Diana Fritz Cates.

Tucker spent his first two years at Iowa teaching Introduction to Rhetoric (RHET:1030) as the instructor of record. In his second year, he was chosen to co-lead the Rhetoric Professional Development Program which prepares and trains new instructors to teach undergraduate students. He then served for three years as Editorial Assistant on the Journal of Religious Ethics (JRE). Tucker has implemented programming for his department and most recently finished coordinating the Department of Religious Studies Faculty and Graduate Student Colloquium. He lives with his two cats and enjoys cooking, baking, working out, and practicing his musical instruments. 

Courses taught

RHET 1030—Introduction to Rhetoric

RHET 535—Colloquium: Teaching Rhetoric

Publications

Gregor, Tucker J. “Introduction to the Focus Issue on Moral Dilemmas.” Journal of Religious Ethics 53, no. 1 (2025): 6-9.

Gregor, Tucker J. “Book Review: Growing in Virtue: Aquinas on Habit by William C. Mattison III.” Modern Theology 41, no.1 (2025): 365-368.