An undergraduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, Kanagy earned a doctorate from Penn State University. He has been recognized by both Elizabethtown and Wheaton colleges for excellence in teaching and scholarship. He was honored in 1997 as a Young Scholar in American Religion, receiving an award from the Pew Charitable Trust, and in 1998 as an exemplary teacher-scholar through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Kanagy has published articles in sociological journals such as Social Science Quarterly, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Rural Sociology and Sociology of Religion. He is co-author of an introductory sociology text titled "The Riddles of Human Society."

Kanagy is also known for his research among the Old Order Amish. His work about Amish farming patterns has been featured by The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Globe and National Public Radio. In addition, he has been interviewed by The Washington Post, USA Today, the British Broadcasting Company, Associated Press and Reuters.