Center on Religion and Culture

Welcome to Fordham’s Center on Religion and Culture

At a time when religion’s role in American life is both praised and contested, Fordham’s Center on Religion and Culture (CRC) explores the complex relationship between faith and contemporary life.

Through public events and conversations with experts and artists, scholars and faith leaders, the CRC seeks to engage and elevate the public dialogue about religion and culture, the mind and the soul, inclusion and identity, politics, and the arts.

Ethan Hawke discussing his new film

Events

The CRC is looking forward to hosting a new slate of in-person and online events in the coming 2025-2026 academic year.
2023-2024 Duffy Fellow Madison Morris discussing her graphic novel, Every Creeping Thing

Duffy Fellows

The Duffy Fellows Program supports a select group of Fordham students and recent graduates to advance the study of issues arising at the intersection of religion and public life.

Playwright John Patrick Shanley and CRC Director David Gibson talking with an audience

Sapientia Blog

The official publication of the Center on Religion and Culture.

The CRC is hosting a full slate of in-person and online events in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Stay tuned for details on the CRC’s growing schedule of programs and follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter) for updates. You can also join our email list to receive CRC news and event invitations.

In the meantime, you can check out our YouTube channel for curated videos of our past events, or learn more about our Fall 2025 programming below.

Support the CRC

From Our Blog

arts & culture

The Long Afterlife of ‘Dead Man Walking’

Seated at the foot of the altar at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Manhattan, four women preached the gospel of "Dead Man Walking," the 1993 memoir by Sister Helen Prejean, at the New York book launch for the graphic edition of the story.

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ethics & morality

Showing Up, and Showing How

arts & culture

Why Vampires Will Never Die

arts & culture

Wicked’s Gregory Maguire on Faith, Wonder, and Living a Good Life in Hard Times

faith & religion

War and Peace: ‘Dilexi te’ and the urgent new social question

arts & culture

Mount Sinai: Monasticism, Collections, and Archives

arts & culture

Learning the Right Lessons From Dante

News and Updates

What’s on My Desk: David Gibson

What’s on My Desk: David Gibson

If you’re looking for Pope Leo, there’s no need to travel to Rome—he’s right at home in David Gibson’s office.  An award-winning journalist, Gibson covered the Vatican and the Catholic …

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A Path for Stronger Christian and Jewish Bonds

A Path for Stronger Christian and Jewish Bonds

In the 60 years since the publication of Nostra Aetate—the first declaration in Catholic history to focus on the relationship between Catholics and Jews—Jewish and Christian scholars have worked together …

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‘Interfaith, Any Faith, No Faith’: Center on Religion and Culture Speaks to All

‘Interfaith, Any Faith, No Faith’: Center on Religion and Culture Speaks to All

At first glance, the link between Jewish dogsledder Blair Braverman and Dead Man Walking author Sister Helen Prejean may not seem obvious. But connecting the dots between them, and between …

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‘A Heart for the Poor’: Pope Leo XIV Welcomed with Hope and Joy by Fordham

‘A Heart for the Poor’: Pope Leo XIV Welcomed with Hope and Joy by Fordham

Catholics around the world watched with excitement as newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States, appeared on the balcony above St. Peter’s Square to deliver …

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Fordham Mourns Death of Pope Francis, Reflects on Influence of First Jesuit Pope

Fordham Mourns Death of Pope Francis, Reflects on Influence of First Jesuit Pope

The death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, mourned around the world with paeans to the humble Argentinian widely praised for renewing the Catholic Church’s commitment to justice and serving …

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CBC News: Fordham Vatican Expert Says Catholics Worldwide are ‘Praying for Best and Preparing for Worst’

CBC News: Fordham Vatican Expert Says Catholics Worldwide are ‘Praying for Best and Preparing for Worst’

David Gibson, director of Fordham’s Center on Religion and Culture, is closely following the news regarding the health of Pope Francis, who remains hospitalized with pneumonia. Listen to his full …

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NYC’s Green Spaces: Living Memorials to Generations of New Yorkers

NYC’s Green Spaces: Living Memorials to Generations of New Yorkers

In a city like New York, green spaces and public parks are seen as places to disconnect from the fast pace of urban life. But many of them also have …

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Why Are Fewer Men Becoming Priests?

Why Are Fewer Men Becoming Priests?

In 1965, there were an estimated 60,000 Catholic priests living in the United States. By 2022, that number had dropped to around 35,000, even as the country’s population had grown …

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The Associated Press: As Francis turns 87, David Gibson Weighs Pontiff’s Efforts to Reform the Church

The Associated Press: As Francis turns 87, David Gibson Weighs Pontiff’s Efforts to Reform the Church

The director of Fordham’s Center on Religion and Culture said in this AP article that the pope’s recent hospitalizations have raised questions about his ability to continue the globetrotting rigors …

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Ethan Hawke Discusses Flannery O’Connor Biopic with Fordham Scholars

Ethan Hawke Discusses Flannery O’Connor Biopic with Fordham Scholars

Actor and director Ethan Hawke joined Fordham’s Angela O’Donnell and David Gibson at a May 3 private screening of Wildcat, a movie about Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor directed by Hawke …

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Hot Off the Press: ‘Disorderly Men’ and H. P. Lovecraft’s ‘Midnight Rambles’

Hot Off the Press: ‘Disorderly Men’ and H. P. Lovecraft’s ‘Midnight Rambles’

A selection of recent titles from Fordham University Press Disorderly Men: A Novel In Disorderly Men, Fordham English professor Edward Cahill evokes New York City in the mid-20th century, several …

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