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

  • New Books Podcast Appearance

    Thanks to the New Books network of podcasts and host Crawford Gribben of Queen’s University Belfast for the opportunity to talk about my book, Parish and Place: Making Room for Diversity in the American Catholic Church. From the show summary:… Continue reading

  • Snapshot of Religion in the U.S.

    I enjoyed my conversation with Rev. Paul John Roach on the radio show/podcast World Spirituality, during which we discuss sociological dimensions of religion, Catholicism, social change, and more. Listen here, or on your favorite podcast player! Continue reading

  • Pre-order my newest book, American Parishes!

    The page proofs are in and the presses are underway…ready your bookshelves for my new coedited volume, American Parishes: Remaking Local Catholicism! This book is the product of the multi-year “American Parish Project” I co-led with Gary Adler and Brian… Continue reading

    Pre-order my newest book, American Parishes!

  • 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

engaging A Sociological Perspective

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