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 from Catholic canon law. "National parishes" is more familiar, but that term is now outdated …
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 second Winter Seminar; my first came while conducting research for my last solo authored book, …
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' declines in fertility and marriage rates...and even into some of my reasons for studying Catholicism …
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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 associate professor post to continue my work as a sociologist in other ways. While PhD-seekers …
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 selves through reducing the likelihood of teen pregnancy and helping them to advance educationally."
“Doesn’t God Dwell Here Anymore?”
I recently traveled to Rome to join a gathering of representatives from several countries contemplating the question of what happens to decommissioned - i.e. closed - Catholic churches. Prompted by the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Culture, the international and multi-lingual participants considered both theological and social aspects to the "appropriate" adaptive reuse of church buildings. …
Call for Papers: Catholicism and Global Challenges
Consider submitting a paper for inclusion in a session I am co-convening at the July 2019 meeting of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion (Barcelona, Spain). Deadline December 16. Catholicism and Global Challenges ("Le catholicisme et les défis globaux") Convener(s): Tricia C. Bruce (University of Notre Dame / University of Texas at San …
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