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

  • “Synodality and Encounter” in Oxford, England

    Continuing the work and dialogue of synodality, I was honored to contribute to an Oxford gathering of synod participants and observers invested in understanding the historical, cultural, and theological significance of the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality. Thanks to support from… Continue reading

    “Synodality and Encounter” in Oxford, England

  • Consulting at the 2024 Synod on Synodality

    As a papal-appointed consultor to the Vatican’s General Secretariat of the Synod, I spent much of October in Rome, participating in the concluding assembly of the Synod on Synodality. Nearly every day, I convened with Pope Francis and some 350… Continue reading

    Consulting at the 2024 Synod on Synodality

  • Profile in East Tennessee Catholic

    The Diocese of Knoxville’s paper-of-record, East Tennessee Catholic, profiled my work as a sociologist of religion and appointment as Consultor to the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality. Knoxville has been “home” for the past 17 years. I’m grateful for this community,… Continue reading

    Profile in East Tennessee Catholic

  • New Research In The News

    Great to see new research from Springtide Research Institute (of which I am Director) cited and featured in several national publications. Our new study offering a first look at Gen Alpha, Thirteen, has received coverage in Newsweek, USA Today, and… Continue reading

  • Cover Feature in Messenger of Saint Anthony

    What is the sociology of religion? What key issues face the Catholic Church in the next decade? I got to answer these questions and more in a feature story for Messenger of Saint Anthony magazine. This piece felt a little… Continue reading

  • Faith in Public Life Panel at Chicago Theological Seminary

    Great to be in Chicago to speak on a public panel hosted by Faith in Public Life at the Chicago Theological Seminary. The panel, “A Holistic Conversation Centering Intersections of Reproductive Health,” was timed to coincide with the Democratic National… Continue reading

    Faith in Public Life Panel at Chicago Theological Seminary

  • Assuming the Presidency of The Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR)

    At the conclusion of the 2024 annual meeting of the Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR), I assumed my elected role as ASR President (2024-2025). I look forward to a great year working together with colleagues to serve our… Continue reading

  • Feature Story in Knoxville News Sentinal

    I live in Knoxville, TN — home to the Great Smoky Mountains and an outnumbered but growing population of Catholics. Our local paper took interest in my role at the Synod, prompted by questions shared by Catholics and non-Catholics alike… Continue reading

    Feature Story in Knoxville News Sentinal

  • Guest Appearance On AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

    My invitation to appear on AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast sparked a fun, wide-ranging conversation covering many dimensions of my work as a sociologist of religion. I’m especially grateful to host extraordinaire, Mike Jordan Laskey. Listen to the full episode here. Continue reading

  • Listening Practices in Global Catholicism

    I was honored to serve as a delegate for a global convening at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy. Conversations that unfolded across three days in March 2024 centered interdisciplinary strategies for deep listening attentive… Continue reading

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