Maxwell School News and Commentary
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.
See related: Africa (Sub-Saharan), Gender and Sex, Middle East & North Africa, Religion, United States
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