People
The director, affiliated faculty, visiting scholars, staff, and graduate students of the Center research a variety of topics regarding the sociology of religion.
Director
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Associate Professor of Sociology Interests: Religion, Social movements, Civic Engagement, U.S.- Mexico Border |
Affiliated Faculty
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Associate Professor of Sociology Interests: American and Canadian Religion, Comparative-Historical Sociology, Canadian Politics |
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Associate Professor of Religion, Conflict, and Peace Studies Interests: Religion, Nationalism, Citizenship, Peacebuilding, Justice, Multiculturalism, Ethnoreligious National Conflicts |
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Associate Professor of Sociology Interests: Religion, Education, Civic Engagement |
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William R. Kenan Professor of Sociology Interests: Religion in Modernity, Adolescents, Evangelicalism, Culture |
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Associate Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Peace Studies Interests: Religious Pluralism, Secularization in Europe and North America, Multiculturalism, Postliberal Theology, Human Rights and Restorative Justice, Contemporary Pragmatism |
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Associate Professor of Sociology Interests: Religion, Social Movements, Ethnography, Qualitatitave Methods |
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Dr. Thomas Tweed |
Visiting Faculty and Scholars
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Center Affiliate Research Interests: Religion; Catholicism; Organizations; Social Movements; Race/Immigration; Urban |
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Katie Comeau is a postdoctoral scholar in Notre Dame’s Department of Sociology with affiliations at the Center for the Study of Religion and Society and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in sociology from Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. In the summer of 2016, Katie received her M.A. and her thesis was titled “Where Can I Find More Money?: How the Challenges of Fundraising Impacts the Religious Identity of Faith-Based Organizations.” Katie currently works for Notre Dame's Well-being at Work project directed by Dr. Matthew Bloom. In the past, she worked for Dr. Samuel Valenzuela, Dr. Kraig Beyerlein, Dr. Christian Smith and Dr. Patricia Arend. Her dissertation tries to understand how religion influences international development by comparing how group styles and cultural models of help influence the work of NGOs and their faith-affiliated counterparts. During the 2017-2018 academic year, Katie will be on a Fulbright in Jamaica to collect data for her dissertation.Research Interests: Religion, Organizations, Development, Theory |
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Global Religion Research Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellow Research Interests: Global and transnational sociology, cultural sociology, political culture, human rights, law and society, gender, religion, intergovernmental organizations, comparative-historical sociology |
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Center Affiliate Research Interests: Race and Ethnic Relations, Religion, Urban, and Methods |
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Research Affiliate Interests: Religion, Spirituality, Young Adults, Hookup Culture, Social Media, The Big Questions, and Meaning-Making |
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Research Affiliate Interests: Latino Religious Experience, Theological Education, Congregational Studies, Evaluation, Education Initiatives |
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Center Affiliate Interests: Religion, China, culture, social theory, qualitative methods |
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Global Religion Research Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellow Research Interests: Religion in Conflict, State Counterinsurgency and Repression, and Civil Wars and Political Violence |
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Center Affiliate Research Interests: Migration in Europe, Second Generation and School Integation, Muslims in Western Societies, Religious Diversity and Pluralism, Multiculturalism |
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Global Religion Research Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellow Research Interests: Religion and Politics, Voting Behavior, Political Psychology, and Social Networks |
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Center Affiliate Research Interests: History of American religion
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Associate Professor |
Staff
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Associate Director, Center for the Study of Religion and Society
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Graduate Students
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Research Interests: Social Theory, Religion, and Culture with a focus on Turkey Feyza Akova is a third year graduate student in the Department of Sociology. She holds an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Houston, and bachelor's degrees in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Istanbul. Before coming to Notre Dame, she worked as a Research Intern at non-profit organizations in the U.S. Her research interests include social theory, religion, and culture with a focus on Turkey. |
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Research Interests: Culture, Gender & Family, Political Sociology, Quantitative & Qualitative Methods Abigail Jorgensen is a third year doctoral student in sociology at the University of Notre Dame and a Notebaert Fellow. Her current work focuses on the motherhood shift, warfare theory, and child mortality. Prior to joining the Department of Sociology, Abigail earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Political Science and Gender Studies at the University of Notre Dame with a minor in Theology. |
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Research Interests: Gender, Religion, Sex, Culture Brianna received her B.A. in sociology and English from Marian University and her M.A. in sociology from IUPUI. She joined the sociology department at Notre Dame in 2015. Her research interests include gender, religion, sex and culture, with specific interests in the role these institutional messages play in individual identity and intimate relationships. Her master's thesis examines the religious identity negotiation of married Catholic women who use contraception. |
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Research Interests: Theory, Religion Culture, Demography Bridget Ritz is a third year graduate student in the Department of Sociology and a Graduate Fellow with Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Culture. At the CSRS, she works with Christian Smith on the Global Religion Research Initiative. Her research interests are religion, culture, embodiment, and social theory. Bridget received her M.A. in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago (2015) and her B.A. in Politics from Ave Maria University (2013). |
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Research Interests: Ritual, Conflict Resolution, Catholicism, Disability, Culture, Qualitative Methods Audrey is a Ph.D. candidate in Liturgical Studies and World Religion, World Church in the Department of Theology. She is affiliated with CSR and the Kellogg Institute. Her dissertation examines the formation and expression of narratives around deafness in the worship of Deaf Catholic ecclesial communities in the U.S. and its theological implications. She is also engaged in research on religious rituals of reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda. She received her M.A. in Theology (2012) and Th.M. (2014) from Saint John's School of Theology-Seminary in Collegeville, Minnesota and a B.A. in Music Composition from Fresno State (2003). |
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Research Interests: Family, Religion, Theory, and Qualitative Methodologies Greg is first year graduate student in the Department of Sociology. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in 2016 and an MS in 2018.
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CSRS Alumni
Graduate Alumni Placement
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Research Interests: Nonreligion, Religion, Ritual, Culture, Qualitative Methods Sarah is doing a PhD in Liturgical Studies in the Department of Theology and is also affiliated with the Center for the Study of Religion and Society. The focus of her research is the relationship between nonreligion and Christian ritual in North America. Sarah is a Louisville Institute Doctoral Fellow and holds a Doctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She received an M.A.R. in Liturgical Studies from Yale Divinity School (2010), and an M.T.S. from the University of Waterloo (2008), where she also completed a B.A. in Religious Studies (2007). |
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Research Interests: Sociology of Religion, Sociology of Technology, Quantitative Methods Ethan is in his fourth year of graduate studies at Notre Dame. He hails from Danville Illinois, a smaller city in east central Illinois. During his undergraduate studies at Illinois State University he studied History with minors in Sociology and Philosophy. While he studied History he focused on intellectual history during the enlightenment, communication technology, and 19th century American religious history. His research interests at Notre Dame are much the same. Ethan's areas of interest are the sociology of religion and the sociology of technology with methodological interests in statistics and network analysis. His Master's Thesis (titled: Online Communities: A case study of the nonreligious in the age of the Internet) looks at variation in online political activity among the nonreligious and religious populations of America. After this project he hopes to continue studying communication technology and religion. His dissertation will look at how developments in communication technologies during the 19th and 20th century have affected the American religious population. This project will focus on three main technological developments: the telegraph/telephone, television, and the Internet. |
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Research Interests: Religion, Culture, Cognition, Morality, Linguistics, Emotion, Theory Michael Rotolo is a PhD Candidate and University Presidential Fellow in sociology at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, he received an M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary (2016) and a B.A. in Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2013), where he minored in Social and Economic Justice. More information (including CV) can be found on his website: mrotolo.com |
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Shanna Corner ('18) Dissertation: "Tactics and Transcendence: The Struggle to Create Common Understandings about Religion and Women’s Rights within the United Nations" Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Religion Research Initiative, Notre Dame |
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Research Interests: Religion, Social Movements, Theory, Culture Peter graduated from the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands in 2002 with an emphasis in Literature and Creative Writing. He has spent the interim decade working in the nonprofit world, helping to set up volunteer programs in Syria and the Palestinian Territories. His areas of interest include social movements, religion, and qualitative methods. |
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Linda Kawentel ('17) Dissertation: "The Intersection of Religion, Gender, and Family among U.S. Catholics: A Quantitative Analysis of the Relation of Religious Orthodoxy to Attitudes and Practices Concerning the Family" Senior Reserach Scientist, Wellbeing at Work Program, Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame |
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Megan Rogers ('17) Dissertation: "Faiths and Fortune: Religion among the Professional Middle Cleass in Urban China" Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Religion Research Initiative, Notre Dame |
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Pete Barwis ('16) Dissertation: "Power and Mobilization: The Problem of All-Volunteer Force Enlistment" Senior Data Scientist, (2016 - Present) |
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Cole Carnesecca ('16) Dissertation: "Fate of the Gods: State Formation and the Emergence of Religious Modernity in China and Japan." Assistant Professor (2016 - Present) |
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Bryant Crubaugh ('16) Dissertation: "Not all Civic Action is Equal: How Place-Based and Identity-Based Civic Associations Differentially Impact Neighborhoods and Cities" Assistant Professor of Sociology, (2016 - Present) |
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Amy Jonason ('16) Dissertation: "Growing the Good Food Revolution: Strategies of Sustainable Community in Two Altruistic Civic Projects" Assistant Professor, (2016 - Present) |
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Peter Mundey ('15) Dissertation: “American Christianity & Consumerism: Understanding the Relationship Between Christian Economic Culture and Secular Consumer Culture.” Research Associate (2017 - Present) |
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Bradley Vermurlen ('16) Dissertation: "Reformed Resurgence: A Field-Theoretic Analysis of Religious Strength (and Weakness) in Advanced Modernity" Director of Social Research (2016 - Present) |
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Meredith Whitnah ('14) Dissertation: "Faith and the Fragility of Justice." Assistant Professor of Sociology (2015 - Present) |
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Justin Farrell ('14) Dissertation: "The Moral Meaning of Environmental Conflicts over Yellowstone." Assistant Professor (2014 - Present) |
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Brandon R. Vaidyanathan ('14) Dissertation: "Living in a Secular Age: Work, Lifestyle, and Religion in Bangalore and Dubai." Associate Professor of Sociology |
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Chris Morrissey ('12) Dissertation: "War, Peace, and Religious Advocacy: the Debate Over the Iraq War." Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology (2014 - Present) |
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Karen Monique Gregg ('12) Dissertation: "The Safe and Sacred Pajama Party: Social Processes in a Religious Youth Ministry for High School Adolescents." Lecturer Recent Publication: |
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Patricia Snell Herzog ('11) Dissertation: "People in Context: Perceptions of Social Dissonance and Community Involvement." |
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Bob Brenneman ('09) Dissertation: “From Homie to Hermano: Conversion and Gang Exit in Central America." Assistant Professor of Sociology (2010 - Present) |
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Jon Hill ('09) Dissertation: "Religious Pathways During the Transition to Adulthood: A Life Course Approach." Assistant Professor (2009 - Present) |
