The occasion of Communion denial by a bishop to a politician provided an opportunity to talk with Religion New Service reporter Jack Jenkins about politics and notions of a "good" Catholic. Read the RNS article with my sociological commentary on the topic here. Also check out the book I coedited with Charles Camosy and Mary …
“I Can’t Keep Quiet” (2019 H. Paul Douglass Lecture)
"I Can't Keep Quiet: Engaging Scholarly Research on Religion" was the title of my H. Paul Douglass Lecture, presented at the 2019 meetings of the Religious Research Association / Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in St. Louis. I am grateful for the invitation to step into the shoes of giants who have delivered …
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Carriers of Catholicism: Agents of a Future Church (My Lecture @ Fairfield University)
I was honored by the invitation to give the 19th annual Anne Drummey O'Callaghan Lecture, presented by the Center for Catholic Studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was great to be in a room full of attentive students, faculty, and community members asking insightful questions about the current and unfolding state of Catholicism …
Politics and personal well-being
The inundation of political news can take a toll on our personal well-being, according to a recent study by Kevin B. Smith, Matthew V. Hibbing, and John R. Hibbing. Thanks to WBIR-Knoxville for the chance to react and reflect on the sociological implications of this study: namely, that present discomfort can be the inspiration and …
Youtube debut on Religion for Breakfast!
I'm excited to share that the video I cowrote with Andrew Mark Henry of the Youtube channel Religion for Breakfast is now live! "Why are congregations so divided?" looks at the social dynamics behind divisions along race, class, and more in local religious communities. Andrew flew out to interview me and tour around congregations in …
On Technology, Twitter, Responsibility, Social Movements, & Social Change
Thanks to The Human Show podcast for the invitation to discuss sociological perspectives on social change as it interacts with technological change. While movement tactics have evolved since the mobilization of Catholics I wrote about in my first book, Faithful Revolution, the dynamics of people's pleas for reform reveal enduring patterns. Listen to the full …
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Announcing the release of American Parishes: Remaking Local Catholicism!
My latest book is out!! I'm thrilled to share that the volume I coedited with Gary Adler and Brian Starks - born of The American Parish Project (TAPP) - is now available! American Parishes: Remaking Local Catholicism was just published by Fordham University Press as a part of their Catholic Press in North America Series. …
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