Tricia C. Bruce, PhD

Sociologist. Author. Researcher. Speaker.

Tricia C. Bruce, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, a 2025-2026 Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Religion & Society at the University of Notre Dame, President-Elect of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and a five-time marathoner. She served previously as President of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, a papal-appointed consultor to the Synod on Synodality, and a tenured professor. She is the author of numerous award-winning books, articles, and reports in the sociology of religion and U.S. Catholicism.

Happenings

  • Mere Fidelity (Podcast Appearance)

    Check out my conversation with the team of podcasters from Mere Fidelity, in which we discuss changes in Americans’ religious affiliation, trust in authority, and the shape of contemporary local religious organizations. Continue reading

  • Heartbreak and Reminders from the Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

    Thanks to WBIR-Knoxville for the opportunity to join tonight’s 5pm newscast to think through the social impact of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire. Churches are carriers of culture and connective threads to our past. As many around the globe mourn… Continue reading

  • Filming with Spirit Juice Productions

    Happy to contribute a sociologist of religion’s perspective for a new documentary project shepherded by Spirit Juice Productions in Chicago. Meaningful conversations with a fun crew. Continue reading

    Filming with Spirit Juice Productions

  • Filming with Religion for Breakfast

    Thanks to a funded partnership through Sacred Writes and the Luce Foundation, Religion for Breakfast’s Andrew Henry joined me in my hometown of Knoxville for a drive-around and discussion of congregations, diversity, and the shape of local religion. Stayed tuned… Continue reading

    Filming with Religion for Breakfast

  • Talking “Cultural Catholics” on First Things (podcast)

    Listen to my conversation with Mark Bauerlein on the First Things podcast to learn more about the substantial swath of Americans who think of themselves as “partially Catholic” in some way, though not religiously. I draw upon data from the… Continue reading

  • Guest appearance on Holy Heretics

    Thanks to the Holy Heretics podcast for inviting me into a wide-ranging conversation about changes in US religion/religiosity and what they mean for modern community, isolation, fragmentation, and more. Listen to the podcast episode here. Continue reading

  • In the wake of hate

    The recent tragedy in New Zealand renews questions about the sources of (and solutions for) out-group hatred. Sociologists work to understand how and why people draw boundaries between “us” and “them,” and the implications of such boundaries for social interaction.… Continue reading

  • My JSSR review of “Postsecular Catholicism: Relevance and Renewal”

    My review of Michele Dillon’s 2018 book Postsecular Catholicism: Relevance and Renewal was just published in the latest issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (JSSR). Dillon’s book considers how religion – and Catholicism in particular –… Continue reading

  • “How Do You Write?” Podcast Appearance

    Thanks to Rachael Herron, host of the podcast “How Do You Write?” for inviting me to talk through my writing process as a sociologist. Working with mostly qualitative data, “coding” is a key ingredient in organizing themes to tell a… Continue reading

  • The Connecting (and Isolating) Power of Digital Technology

    Technology is a root driver of social change, but not a benign one. While the devices at our fingertips connect us more than ever, they can also be a source of isolation and inequality. Digital life brings both help and… Continue reading

engaging A Sociological Perspective

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