Filtered by: Religion
Thompson Article on Pope Leo XIV Published in American Catholic Studies
“As a person who has lived on three continents and traveled extensively through three more, and as someone who has thought deeply about the implications of gospel values for both church and world, Leo is well aware that all that he says and does will be examined and parsed for their repercussions,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of history and political science.
See related: Elections, Europe, Government, Religion, United States
Belief, Behavior, and Health: Religion as a Social Determinant of Health
Sandra D. Lane, professor emerita of public health, has written Belief, Behavior, and Health: Religion as a Social Determinant of Health (Routledge, 2025). The book details how religious beliefs across cultures impact health outcomes. It draws from research from the United States as well as Africa and the Middle East.
Brockway’s “The Shadow Gospel” Reviewed in the Los Angeles Review of Books
“This is a transcendent, boundary-breaking work about ‘the need to recognize, decode, and resist demonological messages,’” says Peter B. Kaufman, associate director of development at MIT Open Learning.
See related: Media & Journalism, Political Parties, Religion, U.S. Elections, United States
Differences in Religious Attendance Among Disabled and Nondisabled Early and Early Midlife Adults
The article, co-authored by Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, was published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.
See related: Disability, Religion, United States
Sociologist’s Article Recognized by the Association for the Sociology of Religion
Merril Silverstein, professor and chair of sociology, has been awarded the Sociology of Religion Distinguished Article Award for 2024 for his co-authored article, "Did Gender Egalitarianism Weaken Religiosity in Baby Boom Women? A Developmental-Historical Approach" (Sociology of Religion, 2023).
See related: Awards & Honors, Gender and Sex, Parenting & Family, Religion, United States
Walahfrid Strabo, Vita Otmari—The Life of Otmar
The chapter, co-authored by Professor of History Albrecht Diem, was published in “The Many Worlds of Otmar: St. Gall and European Monasticism from the 7th to the 9th Century.”
Otmar on Trial
The chapter, written by Professor of History Albrecht Diem, was published in “The Many Worlds of Otmar: St. Gall and European Monasticism from the 7th to the 9th Century.”
Denisa Jashari’s Article Honored with Sturgis Leavitt Award
The Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies presents the award at its annual meeting.
See related: Awards & Honors, Government, Latin America & the Caribbean, Religion
Thompson Quoted in Associated Press, NPR Articles on Pope Leo’s US Citizenship
Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of history and political science, says she doubts Leo will renounce his U.S. citizenship. “I think he wants to stress that he is the pope of the universal Catholic Church,” Thompson says, “and not an American holding that position.”
See related: Europe, Government, International Affairs, Latin America & the Caribbean, Law, Religion, United States
Timur Hammond’s ‘Placing Islam’ Receives Journal’s Honorable Mention
The 2025 International Journal of Islamic Architecture lauded the book for its “evocative storytelling.”
See related: Awards & Honors, Middle East & North Africa, Religion
Thompson Quoted in USA Today Articles on Pope Leo XIV’s Social Media Accounts, His First Mass
“Social media can be a minefield for divisive commentary, so I imagine he’ll use it sparingly, perhaps for simple, pastoral messages (and yes, delivered on the official pope account) like holiday greetings, but not for anything controversial,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of history and political science.
See related: Europe, Media & Journalism, Religion
Thompson Quoted in Newsweek, New York Times Articles on Pope Francis
“We see that with Pope Francis when he talked about the environment and taking care of the planet. That's had a pretty profound influence, although he didn't tell people who to vote for or particular agenda items that nations ought to adopt,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science.
See related: Religion
Religiosity of Grandchildren and Their Grandparents as a Basis for Norms of Eldercare Responsibility
“Religiosity of Grandchildren and Their Grandparents as a Basis for Norms of Eldercare Responsibility in Emerging Adults,” co-authored by Professor and Chair of Sociology Merril Silverstein, was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
See related: Aging, Child & Elder Care, Religion, United States
Fairchild Quoted in Christian Science Monitor Article on the Lingering Impact of COVID
A new media landscape emerged during the pandemic, fueling an outrage that turned scientists and public health officials into villains. University Professor Amy Fairchild describes it as a “backlash movement” that has fundamentally reshaped our political and cultural landscape.
See related: COVID-19, Economic Policy, Education, Labor, Media & Journalism, Religion
Denisa Jashari Receives 2025 Latin American Research Review Best Article Award
The history professor was recognized with the annual award for her article on the transnational movement Christians for Socialism in 1960s and 1970s Chile.
See related: Awards & Honors, Government, Latin America & the Caribbean, Religion
Religious Change and Continuity Across Generations
See related: Aging, Canada, Europe, Parenting & Family, Religion, United States
Diem Monograph, ‘The Pursuit of Salvation,’ Featured on Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index
The translation, “Someone’s Rule for Virgins,” in Professor Albrecht Diem's “The Pursuit of Salvation: Community, Space, and Discipline in Early Medieval Monasticism” (Brepols, 2021), is currently featured as the Translation of the Month on Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index.
Thompson Talks to Catholic Standard, Miami Herald About the Catholic Vote in the 2024 Election
“One thing we do know is that the Latino vote broke for Trump to a much greater extent than it has for any Republican,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. “So the question is, does that add significantly to the Catholic margin?”
See related: Federal, Race & Ethnicity, Religion, U.S. Elections, United States
Thompson Talks to the Catholic Standard About How Catholics Are Voting in the Presidential Election
“We know that Catholics are probably as divided as the rest of the electorate right now,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. “The election is extremely close by almost any standard and Catholics seem to be in many ways mirroring the American population in that regard,” she says.
See related: Federal, Political Parties, Religion, U.S. Elections, United States
Thompson Talks to ABC News About American Catholic Voters
“It's really interesting that the Catholic Church is probably one of the few places where you find people with different perspectives sitting together at Sunday Mass,” says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. She adds that if past election results are any indication, Catholic turnout and the choices they make at the polls will depend on a variety of factors.
See related: Political Parties, Race & Ethnicity, Religion, U.S. Elections, United States