Note from the Chair

Dear Alumni and Friends,

It has been a busy start to the academic year here in the Religious Studies Department. We have welcomed several new faculty, who you can meet elsewhere in this newsletter. We are fortunate to have such a large and outstanding group of faculty with an ever broadening range of research and teaching expertise. We have highlighted some of their impressive recent accomplishments in these pages. We have also had a busy quarter of programming, some of which you can also learn about in this issue of Perspectives.

As I write this it is just after Thanksgiving and I have been reflecting on how thankful I am for this department–faculty, staff, and students. Our faculty are not only impressive teacher-scholars, they are also generous and caring human beings that go above and beyond to create a sense of belonging and community for our students, who are committed to issues of justice and equity within and beyond the university, and who care deeply for and take care of each other. We are also all grateful for the work that Vicky Gonzalez does to keep our department functioning smoothly. As you can see, her outstanding work was recognized by an award from the College of Arts and Sciences at the beginning of the year. She is the first staff member to be a two-time recipient of that award. Finally, our students, and especially our majors and minors, are the ones who make our jobs worthwhile. They are small in number (and growing!) but mighty in spirit and commitment–their accomplishments continue to amaze us. Look for more about them in the spring issue of Perspectives.

With that spirit of gratitude, I wish each of you a blessed holiday season and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your continued interest in and support of the Department of Religious Studies.

Jim Bennett
Chair, Religious Studies Department

Introducing New Faculty

This fall we welcomed two tenure-track faculty to our department, Nicholas Hayes-Mota, who teaches Theological Ethics, and Gaurika Mehta, who teaches South Asian religions. In addition, Eugene Schlesinger, a systematic theologian, was promoted to assistant professor.

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The Role of Religion and Race in the 2024 Election

Chris Tirres moderated a panel of Religious Studies, Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries, and Jesuit School of Theology faculty as well as two Religious Studies minors.

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RSOC 14 Students Explore Living Religion as they Visit Local Religious Sites

Students in Elizabeth Drescher's introductory course conducted field research to better understand how religion functions in the lives of ordinary people.

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RS Conversation with Dr. Emily Reimer-Barry

Dr. Reimer-Barry led a conversation on voting, civic engagement, and questions of reproductive rights from the perspective of Christian ethics.

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Studying Homelessness in Silicon Valley: RS Participation in SCU’s Unhoused Initiative

Religious Studies faculty are part of the leadership of SCU's Unhoused Initiative, which launched a year-long series titled, “From the Jungle Encampment Sweep to the Grants Pass Ruling: Perspectives on Homelessness in Silicon Valley” last month.

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Ana María Pineda, RSM

Ana María has been selected as a recipient of the Encuentros Award (El Premio de los Encuentros). She also published the opening chapter in the newly published work Óscar Romero and Catholic Social Teaching, edited by Todd Walatka.

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Elyse Raby

Elyse published a chapter in Vatican II at 60: Re-Energizing the Renewal. She was also part of the delegation to the Synod on Synodality in Rome. 

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Eugene Schlesinger

Eugene published an article, "The Sacraments of Initiation as 'Proof of Concept' for Bernard Lonergan's 'Four-Point Hypothesis'." He also gave a workshop on the Liturgy of the Hours, attended a joint meeting of the Episcopal Church's interim bodies, and presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion.

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Ignatian Center Fellowship

Congratulations to RS Major Joseph Barton ‘26 for becoming an Ignatian Center Fellow for the 2024-25 school year. Joseph will be serving at Yes We Can ... Read! Plus!

Riley Freeman '24

Congratulations to Religious Studies alumnus Riley Freeman ‘24! He started his studies at Santa Clara University School of Law this fall! We can’t wait to see all of the amazing work you will do!

We would love to hear from you! If you have any news or memories to share (tell us your best RS story!), would like to update us about your current life and work, or have any ideas for RS programs and initiatives, please email religionteam@gmail.com.

You might include a story or photo of a recent event, or just let us know about your current location, career, or thoughts. Thank you!