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

  • 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

  • Thinking about generations

    Sociologists and others sometimes refer to “generations” as a way to understand differences as they occur across age, life course, and cohort. What we experience and when (major events, rites of passage, trends in technology, etc.) can shape our attitudes… Continue reading

  • New Partnership with Sacred Writes & “Religion for Breakfast”

    Thanks to support from Sacred Writes (funded by the Henry Luce Foundation) I’m excited to be co-producing an original video for the popular YouTube channel, “Religion for Breakfast.” From the Sacred Writes website: “Religion for Breakfast is a YouTube channel… Continue reading

  • What are Personal Parishes?

    When I began my research on “personal parishes” in the Catholic Church back in 2010, the term was new to me…and I wasn’t alone. Many Catholics – well-informed lay and ordained, alike – aren’t aware of the term, which comes… Continue reading

  • The Louisville Institute’s Winter Seminar

    Each year, the Louisville Institute gathers grantees to meet, share progress on projects, and build supportive relationships. As a current recipient of the project grant for researchers, I was happy to participate in the 2019 Winter Seminar. This was my… Continue reading

    The Louisville Institute’s Winter Seminar

  • Guest appearance on “The Measure of Everyday Life”

    Thanks to Brian Southwell, host of the radio show / podcast “The Measure of Everyday Life” for our thought-provoking conversation about the changing context of US religion for young Americans. The focus moved from religion to the non-religious to millennials’… Continue reading

  • My new classroom

    Today marks the start of a new semester, but I’m not standing in front of the classroom…not this one, at least. After nearly a dozen years as a tenured professor at a small liberal arts college, I have resigned my… Continue reading

  • Girl Talk, Inc. Knoxville

    Thanks to Girl Talk, Inc. Knoxville for this kind shoutout, and for their powerful advocacy for young women! Proud to be joining their board of directors in 2019, in union with their mission of “empower[ing] girls to become their best… Continue reading

engaging A Sociological Perspective

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