Anthony M. Petro

About the Author

Anthony M. Petro is a scholar and author whose work explores the intricate intersections of religion, sexuality, and public health in American history. With a PhD in American Studies from New York University, he serves as an associate professor of Religion and American Studies at Boston University, where he teaches courses on queer theory, religious ethics, and the cultural politics of health crises. Petro's research draws on archival sources to illuminate how religious institutions and moral frameworks shaped responses to the AIDS epidemic, challenging narratives of exclusion and advocating for more inclusive dialogues. His acclaimed book, After the Wrath of God: AIDS, Sexuality, & American Religion, offers a groundbreaking analysis of how faith communities navigated the moral and social upheavals of the 1980s and 1990s, blending rigorous historical inquiry with compassionate storytelling to reveal the human stories behind policy and prejudice.