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 six-time marathoner. She has served 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


  • ASR 2025 in Chicago!

    Wonderful to gather in Chicago with colleagues and new connections for the 2025 meetings of the Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR). I was honored to serve as ASR’s 2024-2025 President, delivering this year’s Presidential address. The gathering also… Continue reading

    ASR 2025 in Chicago!
  • Forum on the Future of Catholicism at ASR 2025

    As current President of the Association of the Sociology of Religion (ASR), I’m thrilled to be co-organizing a forum within this year’s ASR conference on “The Future of Catholicism: Roots and Trajectories.” Thanks to the University of Southern California’s Institute… Continue reading

  • SSSR Webinar –From Francis to Leo XIV: Looking into a Post “Who Am I to Judge” Catholic Church

    Prompted by insightful (and award-winning!) analyses by my doctoral student Lucas Sharma, SJ, the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) hosted a webinar inviting reflections on transitions in the papacy, attitudes toward homosexuality, and the priesthood. The full… Continue reading

    SSSR Webinar –From Francis to Leo XIV: Looking into a Post “Who Am I to Judge” Catholic Church
  • Guest Panelist on “Inside Tennessee”

    I was back in the studio with WBIR as a panelist for the Sunday morning show “Inside Tennessee” this week, contemplating the election of Pope Leo XIV and future of the Catholic Church. While much remains to be seen regarding… Continue reading

    Guest Panelist on “Inside Tennessee”
  • Interview on the Election of Pope Leo XIV

    Everything is new and little is known — but what an exciting moment to be a sociologist of religion attentive to changes in the US and global Catholic Church. Having shared space, croissants, and company with Cardinal Robert Prevost during… Continue reading

    Interview on the Election of Pope Leo XIV
  • RRA Spotlight on Applied Social Science Research in Catholic Contexts

    The Religious Research Association (RRA) does much to support scholars connecting work to applied contexts, extending the relevance of research to policy and practice. I enjoyed the opportunity to share some of own experiences bridging scholarship to application in a… Continue reading

    RRA Spotlight on Applied Social Science Research in Catholic Contexts
  • Mourning Pope Francis

    We knew the day would come eventually — and how perfect that it came on Easter Monday — but the death of Pope Francis broke my heart, all the same. I treasure the opportunity I had to interact with him… Continue reading

    Mourning Pope Francis
  • Four-Part Series on My Experience of the Synod on Synodality

    My four-part essay series reflecting on my experience as Consultor to the global Synod on Synodality is live, posted on the newly debuted “Engaging the Divides” forum for USC’s Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies. Across the collection, I contemplate and… Continue reading

    Four-Part Series on My Experience of the Synod on Synodality
  • Thinking About Personhood

    As the nation continues to grapple with the moral and legal complexities of pregnancy and abortion, I appreciated the opportunity to convene with a small, interdisciplinary group of scholars thinking through the meanings and messages of ‘personhood.’ Los Altos Hills… Continue reading

    Thinking About Personhood
  • Tablet Winter School Webinar

    The 2025 Jubilee Year themed around “Hope” framed what I shared through the lens of sociology of religion in The Tablet‘s “Winter School Webinar.” I’m grateful for the invitation, good questions, and renewed connections between sociology and cultural understandings of… Continue reading

    Tablet Winter School Webinar