William G. Doty

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For the former mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, named William G. Doty, see William G. Doty (politician)

William G. Doty is professor emeritus of religious studies and religion at the University of Alabama. His early work concentrated on biblical interpretation. His best known book, Mythography: The Study of Myth and Ritual, was published by the University of Alabama Press in 1982 and significantly revised and expanded in a second edition in 2000. It describes the study of myth from the late 1800s to the present including analysis of major figures of myth studies and remains the most important overview of myth studies in the field today.

He is widely known for his work on postmodern interpretations of myth, gender and masculinity, and mythical trickster figures. Each of these topics have been presented in books by Doty, including the well-regarded Mythical Trickster Figures and Myths of Masculinity.

He is also co-editor, with Matthew Kapell, of Jacking In to the Matrix Franchise: Cultural Reception and Interpretation.

He remains an active scholar, teaching at Auburn University, the University of Alabama, and the Pacifica Graduate Institute.