Tricia C. Bruce, PhD

Which congregations are attracting 18-29 year-olds?  What does this success look like in the face of a changing religious landscape and trends in young adults living longer, marrying later, and undergoing increased career transition? With support from the Lilly Endowment,… Continue reading

Today’s election of Archbishop Timothy Dolan (Archdiocese of New York) to the top seat in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) caught many by surprise. Most expected the presidency to go to sitting VP, Bishop Gerald Kicanas (Diocese… Continue reading

My book, Faithful Revolution: How Voice of the Faithful is Changing the Church, is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from Oxford University Press. Here is a brief description: In January 2002, investigative reporting at the Boston… Continue reading

I was among the crowd gathered in downtown Seattle recently to observe the dedication of a new Catholic parish, Christ Our Hope. Christ Our Hope is among a growing number of “personal parishes” in the U.S. Catholic Church, a current research… Continue reading

Maryville College welcomed the Class of 2014 to campus this week. I’ve accompanied my orientation group through new adventures, both in and out of the classroom. Here they are encountering the “Mountain Challenge” ropes course. See the full gallery on… Continue reading

Thousands of sociologists descended upon Atlanta this weekend for the American Sociological Association Meetings, and I was one of them. See the full gallery on Posterous Continue reading

This week I was in the field doing a case study of a Catholic parish known for its outreach to 18-29 year-olds.  This research is part of a national study examining the “Changing Spirituality of Emerging Adults” (www.changingsea.org).  What is… Continue reading

This past week I had the opportunity to gather with a group of sociologists and religious studies scholars connected with the Lilly-supported “Engaged Scholars Studying Congregations” program. We exchanged ideas about some fascinating new research projects while staying in the… Continue reading

“In January 2002, investigative reporting at the Boston Globe set off a wave of revelations regarding child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and the transferring of abusive priests from parish to parish. Public allegations against clergy reached unprecedented levels; one… Continue reading