Why Theology?

Here at Fordham, we are proud to have such a vibrant community of Theology majors and minors, and we invite you to join us. But first: What do students and professors actually do here in the Department of Theology? And more importantly, what can students do with theology afterthey graduate? 

These are great questions. 

In the Department of Theology, we draw from our Catholic, Jesuit heritage and engage in interfaith conversations to pose and ponder life’s biggest questions: Is belief in God an illusion? What gives life meaning? How can we put our ideals—justice, even love—into practice? Why is religion such a source of violence and at the same time, a source of inspiration for reconciliation and healing?

In a world of soundbites and polarization, our students are trained to attend to complexity and nuance, unafraid to linger with mystery and depth. They are educated to communicate in ways that evoke rigor and empathy. With their combination of rigorous academics and their engagement in sensitive topics about faith, meaning, the sacred, and diversity, Fordham theology students stand out as leaders in education, the arts, healthcare, media, the nonprofit sector, law, business, and more. 

As students in a Jesuit university, Fordham’s theology students are also encouraged to confront the disconnect between religious values and the injustices of the world, and to think about the role they can play in making a difference. In our classes, our students also think personally alongside religious traditions. They draw on these traditions as sources of meaning and beauty, to help them answer their own questions about how to live, who to be, and what to believe. 

It would be a mistake to think this training is somehow at odds with finding a job. 

We are so proud of the thousands of students who have pursued a Theology major or minor at Fordham and stand in awe at the range of places Theology has taken them after graduation. 

To be sure, some of our most dedicated undergraduate theology majors have gone on to pursue a PhD in the academic study of religion and theology. They are now published scholars, and professors in our field. Among these alumni are people like Dr. Joe Vignone, FCLC ’14, professor of Islam in the history department at Gonzaga University, Dr. Kathleen Mroz, FCRH ’11, professor of theology at Emanuel College, Dr. Meghan Clark, FCRH ‘03, professor of bioethics at St. John’s University,  Dr. Xavier M. Montecel, FCRH ’12, who teaches moral theology in San Antonio Texas, and Dr. Natalia Imperatori-Lee, FCRH ’99, a feminist theologian at Manhattan College. Fordham’s Department of Theology is nurturing the next generation of scholars, beginning with our undergraduate students and continuing with our MTS and PhD students. 

However, the vast majority of our undergraduate students pursue theology alongside other courses of study in preparation for careers that, on the face of it, aren’t connected to theology in any obvious way. 

At Fordham, for example, we are proud of our many alumni who went on to medical school or the health professions, pairing their science requirements with a double major or minor in theology. 

Consider: Brandon Mogrovejo is now a pediatrician at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He graduated from FCRH in 2015 with a dual major in biology and African American studies and minored in theology. He went on to receive his medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. Brandon says, “I was blown away by how philosophical the theology courses were. They asked questions about why we believe in God, and why certain religions revere a godlike figure at all. I really like asking those questions.” 

As another pre-health and theology alumni, Taylor Jacob, FCRH ’14 was a dual major in Theology and Biology and is now a resident OB/GYN at NY Presbyterian hospital, and like Brandon, attended Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She explained her decision to study theology alongside the sciences: “The trends in medicine today are moving away from just understanding the pure sciences toward trying to understand the person as a whole, which I think a Jesuit education is pretty well suited to do, given the whole message of cura personalis.” Another one of our graduates, Nabilah Nishat, MD, FCRH ’18 biology/theology double major, is now a resident physician at The Institute for Family Health, a community health clinic in Manhattan. 

There are countless stories of star students combining theology and the sciences here at Fordham, including Fordham’s valedictorian in 2015, the brilliant Dr. Alyssa Ammazalaroso, another double biology-theology major, recently profiled in the New York Times for solving a complex, seemingly intractable medical mystery.

Fordham Theology faculty have been thrilled to write medical school letters of recommendation for students like Nabilah, Alyssa, Brandon, and Taylor, describing the depth of these students’ work outside the science labs. We love sharing with admissions committees how our students have grappled deeply with things like the meaning of human suffering, the nature of death, medical inequity, and so much more.  

This science/theology combination is a unique strength at Fordham, and extends beyond the medical field into other areas of science too. For example, Michael Singer was a FCLC ’20 student, a dual major in theology and biology, now pursuing his PhD at UC Berkeley in cell biology. As a Jewish student at a Jesuit institution, he learned about understanding others from different traditions. Michael said the starting point for dialogue is the same as the starting point in science: genuine curiosity. “It’s more about trying to really understand how another person is thinking, without trying to point out flaws in their argument and break them down. It’s about practicing empathy through logic.”

Beyond the sciences, we have alumni who have gone into a variety of fields, and who look back on theology as a source of unique strength they bring to their professions. Carlos Orbegoso, FCRH ‘22 was an Economics and Theology double major. While at Fordham, he secured grants to pursue research on questions that fascinated him, like the rise of far-right religious populism in his home country of Peru and in the United States. Carlos now works in business, as a Senior Contract Administrator with a company that specializes in recycling and trading non-ferrous metals.  Carlos reflects on the difference theology has made in his professional life: “While having to work in a very high-paced environment, there is a culture of ‘getting things done,’ without really stopping to ask, question, and consider larger scale implications of ‘straightforward actions.’ Studying theology taught me how to face and engage a problem, applying research and an implications-focused approach to day-to-day actions, as well as the consequences our actions might bring to the communities that our trading operations impact. There is certainly a huge difference in the social consciousness of my colleagues that studied liberal arts as opposed to just business.” Carlos elaborates, “Another great tool that theology provided me was to understand the significance of other people’s cultures and their different religions are a core part of who they are. I work and visit clients all over the world, so being able to have a knowledgeable appreciation for their culture, religion, and traditions is a great tool to engage on a personal level and create connections to develop new businesses.” Business and theology do not always seem aligned in any obvious way, so students like Carlos stand out in the work world.

Other undergraduate students who study with us pursue policy and NGO work. Loreen Ruiz is a more recent alum who graduated with a theology major in 2021 from Lincoln Center, where she was president of Fordham’s USG. She is now a Master's Student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, with plans to work in international public policy. When asked who she admired most at Fordham, Loreen mentioned our own Dr. Jeannine Hill-Fletcher. She explains, “Among my non-religious peers, I’ve noticed that there is a general perception that religious people lack an awareness of societal discrimination. While it’s not her stated mission, I think Professor Hill Fletcher—who is Catholic—turns all of those stereotypes on their head. Not only is she a feminist theologian by training: she is very involved with advocacy work, as she is a prominent voice for faculty rights, and she is a dedicated ally to students of color and LGBTQ students.”

Like Loreen, so many of our wonderful alums focused on the intersection of social justice and faith here at Fordham. Stephanie Pennacchia, an FCRH ‘12 Theology major, deepened her Jesuit formation by serving with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps the year after she graduated. Stephanie later earned her license in clinical social work and now has both a private psychotherapist practice, and serves as the Clinical Supervisor for the Intensive Mobile Treatment program at Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), an organization serving vulnerable New Yorkers. She explains, “I received my undergraduate degree in theology and was particularly interested in the theological issues of social justice, which eventually led me to the field of social work. In my work prior to graduate school, I served individuals with severe mental health diagnoses who were managing street homelessness. That experience confirmed my desire to provide holistic and person-centered care to address mental health well-being and offer care in really creative ways.” 

Every year we also have Theology majors or minors who pursue law school and many of our alumni are practicing attorneys. Consider Nick Endo, a FCLC ’16 Theology major, who graduated from Georgetown University Law School in 2024. Nick now practices law at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender. Nick explains, “My background in theology prepared me exceptionally well for a career in law. The skills I honed through wrestling with sacred texts as a Fordham undergraduate have translated seamlessly to the world of constitutional interpretation, and I am a better legal writer because of the time I spent in theology classes learning how to articulate complex ideas and craft creative arguments. Outside of the classroom, theology has also deeply enriched my journey as a person of faith and has strengthened my commitment to building a more just and loving world.” Howie Bruno, FCRH ’13 who double majored in English and Theology, completed his JD at the University of Virginia and is now an associate partner at Casey Gerry in California, where he also serves on the Board of Directors of San Diego Volunteer Lawyers, connecting disadvantaged people with pro-bono attorneys. Patrick Maroun, FCRH ’15 double majored in Theology and Political Science, and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 2019 and now serves as a Judicial Law Clerk in Denver, Colorado. 

 

These career paths show what a myth it is that there is nothing you can “do” with Theology. 

But there is more to it than this. In the Theology department, we think our students have gone on to so many exciting opportunities because we do more than passively learn “about” the faith and religion of others, as bystanders. Our students and faculty partner together to engage realcommunities of faith in and outside the classroom, as collaborators to create experiences of transcendent meaning and social action. We create new ways of seeing the world and seeing God and move our traditions of faith forward in ways that make a real difference in our world. There is an experiential depth to the way we do theology at Fordham.

For example, Ben Reilly, a FCRH ’23 and Theology major, was the lead organizer of the incredibleIgnatian Q Conference Fordham hosted in 2023, aimed at advancing LGBTQ inclusion and equity on Jesuit campuses throughout the United States. Our faculty colleague Dr. Bryan Massingale, a priest and Buckman Chair in Applied Ethics, offered the keynote address; Ben spearheaded the publication Queer Prayer, a resource booklet of spiritual poems and prayers selected and written by members of Fordham’s LGBTQ community.  The poems and prayers, according to Ben, evoke “a transcendent emotiveness, a profound humanness, where God resides. For LGBTQ+ people, we are often told that God is not with us, but the emotions we feel and the prayers, poems, and songs we participate in show that is not true.” Our students are still talking about the impact of these theological conversations in our community.

Indeed, it is our faculty and students’ courage to engage with living questions of faith—even the most difficult, deepest ones—that makes our department stand out. It transforms the lives of our students and helps them become leaders who make a difference in the world, rather than accept the status quo. 

For instance, Professor Michael Lee, a Theology Professor and Director of Fordham’s Curran Center for Catholic Studies,  took a group of students in El Salvador in 2023, where they learned about this country’s rich Catholic history around issues of faith and justice that endure today.Anna Nowalk, FCLC ’23 a theology/music double major was inspired by her time there, and she just won a Fulbright scholarship to return to El Salvador for research. Anna once explained, “Throughout my time at Fordham, I’ve brushed against potentially life-altering understandings of the Christian mission and have on occasion felt my soul shimmer as I saw with clarity for a moment how I might be called to it.” For many of our students, there is something transformative beyond the intellect that happens in our courses. 

Along the same lines, the faculty-student collaborations in our department have also helped students connect more deeply with their own family histories, and these experiences have led to prestigious opportunities that shape students’ careers. Our former colleague in rabbinic Judaism, Dr. Sarit-Katan Gribetz worked with an FCRH student Claire Kim on the history of a Korean translation of the Talmud that had been in Claire’s Korean-American family, leading to the publication of a co-authored article. Claire now works as a curator in the arts with an emphasis on arts from the Asian diaspora. Dr. Brenna Moore hired student researchers to explore the spiritual history of a community of nuns working with migrant families in East Harlem. Students conducted interviews and were critical to the publication of the book; these students have gone on to work in faith-based NGOs, earn prestigious fellowships, and more. Theology Professors Dr. George Demacopoulos and Dr. Telly Papanikolaou, who direct Fordham’s Center for the Orthodox Christian Studies Center, provide other opportunities for students, like FCRH student Harry Parks who interned with the Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations.  It is these experiences that bring together faculty, students, and living communities of faith, that enable Fordham theology students to stand out as the ones on campus who are, in the words of our colleague Dr. John Seitz, “asserting themselves and taking ownership of their education.”

But still. We know it’s not easy to tell parents and friends about a minor or major in Theology (“what on earth will you do with that?”). We know it’s a much simpler conversation to share plans about a degree in accounting, computer science, or almost anything else. Where can theology take you? There isn’t a one-word answer. But in our department, we train our students to sit with questions that can’t be answered in a simple word or two, that take time to unpack and imagine. We know from many, many years of experience, that this serves them well. 

In the end, maybe this is the combination that makes Theology work so well at Fordham: being located in such a richly diverse city like New York, having faculty scholars at the top of our field committed to Jesuit education, and caring so deeply about our students, who are themselves so smart, creative and dedicated. But also, we have to admit, the discipline of Theology itself is just pretty unique. In Theology, we have a long, long sense of the human experience.  We teach classes on sacred texts written thousands of years ago, often in languages long abandoned. We do this alongside courses that help us understand the more than eight-in-ten people in the world today who consider themselves religious. We draw from deep roots and open up new horizons of meaning. This big sense of humanity, a long sense of time, puts our students in touch with a much bigger, more capacious conversation that has the power to replenish our sense of ourselves and the world. Although the media has us fixated on the catastrophes of now and the latest quick fixes, theology helps us imagine the world differently, and think of solutions by drawing on a much wider set of options. It can remind us where we have been as a human community, and help us imagine where we want to go. We are so honored to see Fordham theology students go to so many truly incredible places. Join us!

– Brenna Moore, Chair, Theology Department