Gordon Dakota “Koty” Arnold, Ph.D.
Bio
Dr. Gordon Dakota “Koty” Arnold is a native of High Point, North Carolina. He received his B.A. in Government with a minor in History from Regent University in 2017. Post-graduation, he served as a Fellow at the John Jay Institute, where he studied many of the greatest books of Western civilization within the context of a Christian community. In 2018, Arnold began his doctoral work at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, where he studied American Government and Political Theory. He completed his Ph.D. with honors in 2024, writing his doctoral dissertation on the constitutional and political philosophy of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Sr. Before joining the faculty of Regent University, he served as an Assistant Professor of Politics at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colorado, where he taught core courses in American Government for three years.
Dr. Arnold specializes in the study of American government, American political thought, and the development of American political institutions, especially political parties, the Presidency, and Congress. His research focuses on the political thought of the Progressive Era, specifically exploring the beliefs and ideas of key constitutional conservative leaders who challenged the Progressive critique of the American Founding. His work has also regularly emphasized the relationship between religion and politics, the division between ancient and modern political philosophies, and political ideologies. His published writings on the topic of political philosophy include essays reflecting on Jonathan Edwards, James Madison, John Locke, Augustine, Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, Nietzsche, and other critical thinkers in the history of the Western philosophical heritage.
Dr. Arnold believes that he has a duty to bring the ideas that have shaped history to life for his students, and he hopes to inspire his students with the same passion for truth that his own teachers helped instill in him. He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife Margaret and their dog, Stella. In their spare time, they enjoy reading, playing board games, watching films, exercising, and spending time with their church community.
Credentials
- Ph.D. in Politics, Hillsdale College, 2024
- M.A. in Politics, Emphasizing Political Theory, Hillsdale College, 2020
- B.A. in Government, Minor in History, Regent University, 2017