Michael “Mike” Barnes, a University of Dayton professor emeritus of religious studies who was known for his lively teaching style and support for students, died Jan. 30 at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. He was 88.
Barnes joined the UD faculty in 1968 and taught for 50 years as a professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Honors program. He also served as the Alumni Chair in the Humanities from 1997-2000 and as a director of UD’s Core integrated studies program. He retired from active teaching in 2018 with the rank of professor emeritus.
Barnes’ teaching at UD included religion and science courses, which looked at the impact of modern cosmology and biology on our perception of God and humanity’s position in the universe.
He was honored with the 1992 University Faculty Award for teaching and the 2004 award for scholarship.
Matthew Eggemeier ’01 took several courses with Barnes as a UD undergraduate. Now a professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, he said Barnes “worked tirelessly to create an open intellectual atmosphere in the classroom,” which shaped his own approach to teaching.
“Virtually every week I think to myself, ‘I’m pulling a Barnes here,’ when I attempt to push my students to avoid easy answers, to think critically, and discern which philosophies and theologies are worth pursuing,” Eggemeier said. “He was quite simply a masterful teacher whose approach in the classroom deeply impacted generations of UD students.”
Barnes’ influence extended beyond campus to his house, which he opened for student living, according to a 2023 UD Alumni and Friends Making an Impact blog story. His home, located just outside campus, welcomed many Flyers over the years, offering them a safe place to live, study and gather.
Scott Wagner ’01 first encountered Barnes as a student in his Freedom and Determinism course and later pursued an independent study on religion and science under his guidance. Their relationship flourished after Wagner’s graduation and continued for more than 25 years.
“For almost a year, I rented a room in Mike’s home, which became an intellectual and spiritual sanctuary for me,” Wagner recalled. “The peaceful environment Mike created in his house — filled with books, music and stimulating conversation — was one I relished and cherished deeply. It was during these years that our many discussions on life, science, religion, politics and even wine became the foundation of a deep and lasting friendship.”
Wagner, director of housing and services at Abode Services in Napa, California, holds a law degree from Fordham University School of Law. He recalled Barnes helping him navigate challenging LSAT questions and reviewing his personal statement for his law school application.
“His support extended beyond academia as well, including generous annual donations to the poverty alleviation nonprofits I have worked on behalf of for more than a decade,” Wagner said. “Mike was selfless in his mentorship and unwavering in his belief in my potential.”
In 2021, Barnes established the Paul Morman Endowed Scholarship at UD, supporting students who are part of the Flyer Promise Scholarship program. He chose to support Flyer Promise in part because he believed a UD education should be accessible for all. He named the scholarship to honor Paul Morman, a former dean of the UD College of Arts and Sciences.
Dennis Doyle, professor emeritus in the UD Department of Religious Studies, remembered Barnes as a deep thinker and a careful scholar.
“He was exceptionally kind,” Doyle said. “In my early years at UD, he read and made helpful comments on just about everything I wrote. We became jogging partners who cheerfully debated our theological differences during our lunch hour over several decades.”
Barnes wrote four books, including Stages of Thought: The Co-Evolution of Religious Thought and Science, which was named Book of the Year in 2001 by the College Theology Society. It explored scientific and religious thought around the world from pre-literary societies to the modern day.
“One of his books, In the Presence of Mystery, served as a standard introductory textbook for the academic study of religion as it went through many updated editions and printings,” Doyle said. “First published in 1984, it is still in use 42 years later with a new title, The Enduring Quest for Meaning.”
Barnes received a doctorate in 1976 from Marquette University, and his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology in 1961 from Saint Louis University. He was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and spent his formative years in the nearby city of Bovey.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date, according to his obituary page.