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

  • The Sociology of Parishes

    Born of The American Parish Project (which I co-lead with Gary Adler and Brian Starks), a forum I edited on the sociology of parishes appears in the latest issue of American Catholic Studies. It features exceptional essays by sociologists James… Continue reading

    The Sociology of Parishes

  • What is the Common Good?

    This week, I gathered with a group of scholars of Catholicism to engage this question and what it means for our ongoing work. This research fellows colloquy (one of several over the course of three years) is part of Duquesne… Continue reading

    What is the Common Good?

  • Forthcoming -> American Parishes (an edited volume)

    My coedited volume with Gary Adler and Brian Starks – American Parishes: Remaking Local Catholicism – will soon join the Fordham University Press series on Catholic Practice in North America! Expected release date is Spring 2019. The book features a… Continue reading

  • Tracking Trends in Religious Affiliation

    One of the most fascinating recent trends in the sociology of religion is the increase in numbers of religious “nones” – individuals who claim no particular religious affiliation. My own state, Tennessee, is not immune to this, despite being in… Continue reading

    Tracking Trends in Religious Affiliation

  • Review of Parish and Place in “Review of Religious Research” Journal

    Review of Religious Research, the official journal for the Religious Research Association, has just released a review of my newest book, Parish and Place. Elfriede Wedam suggests that the book is “essential reading in Catholic studies” and that “non-Catholics will… Continue reading

    Review of Parish and Place in “Review of Religious Research” Journal

  • Seminar Lecture at Durham University

    I am honored to be in residence for January 2018 as a Faculty Fellow of the Centre for Catholic Studies, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, Durham, England. During my time here, I will lead a research seminar entitled Parishes… Continue reading

    Seminar Lecture at Durham University

  • Diversity in Catholic Parishes

    My recent book Parish and Place fosters a conversation about diversity (and its limits) in expressions of local Catholicism. I was interviewed and quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer story by reporter Kristin E. Holmes that engages such themes. From the… Continue reading

  • Thank you to the Louisville Institute and Appalachian College Association

    As I launch into the research behind my next book, I am grateful to the Louisville Institute for a $30,000 Project Grant for Researchers and the Appalachian College Association for a $6,000 Faculty Fellowship. This support will be instrumental as… Continue reading

  • Calling out the tides of institutional change

    In my interview with the Tribune de Genève (www.tdg.ch), a daily paper in Switzerland, I reference the tides of change that come with recognizing cultures of harassment. The excerpt and translation are below; read the full article here. [Original French]… Continue reading

  • The Silence Breakers as Time’s “Person of the Year”

    The #MeToo movement continues to grow, gaining momentum in its recognition as Time Magazine’s 2017 “Person of the Year.” View my commentary on WBIR regarding these latest developments. This visit was unique in that my spouse Brandon Bruce accompanied me… Continue reading

engaging A Sociological Perspective

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