A sociologist among the spirits

This article is an academic autobiography of Andrew Singleton, an Australian sociologist of religion whose work focuses on applied, mixed-methods studies of youth religion, religious belief and new religious movements. It starts with a sociology of religion class, describes graduate research that utilised qualitative methods, and post-doctoral work in quantitative methods, and then concludes by discussing recent mixed-methods projects. The career arc of an academic is shaped by the legacy of earlier scholars in the field, key mentors, opportunities for research support and collaborators. The article emphasises the role and importance of these factors in forming an individual’s professional profile and the kind of scholarship they produce.