Center on Religion and Culture

Art historian Pamela Jones discussing Fr. John O'Malley's contributions to the field


Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture (CRC) is looking forward to hosting a new slate of in-person and online events in the coming 2024-2025 academic year.

Stay tuned for details on the CRC’s growing schedule of programs and follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter) for updates. You can also sign up for news and event invitations at: [email protected].

In the meantime, you can check out our YouTube channel for curated videos of our past events.

Thank you for your support for Fordham and the CRC and remember to follow best practices to stay healthy, for yourselves and for others.

David Gibson
Director, Fordham Center on Religion and Culture


About the CRC

CRC Speaker at the Podium for the Pope Reform Event

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.

Check out our Events Page for more information about past and future programming.

View CRC Events

News and Updates

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Fordham at the Met Opera: ‘Coursework Come to Life’

Fordham at the Met Opera: ‘Coursework Come to Life’

This year, more than 500 Fordham students, faculty, alumni, and staff attended performances at the world-famous Metropolitan Opera—located one block away from the University’s Lincoln Center campus—at no cost to …

Eleven Fordham Students Head to Rome for Pope’s Synod on Synodality

Eleven Fordham Students Head to Rome for Pope’s Synod on Synodality

Ten Fordham undergraduates and one graduate student arrived in Rome on Saturday to observe Pope Francis’ historic Synod on Synodality and participate in related events. The gathering was convened by …

Pope Decries Climate Deniers, Says World May Be Near Breaking Point

Pope Decries Climate Deniers, Says World May Be Near Breaking Point

Fordham experts weigh in on Laudate Deum, a new apostolic exhortation on climate change. Increasing extreme weather conditions like record-high temperatures and devastating droughts are undoubtedly the result of “unchecked …

Ahead of Dead Man Walking Opera, Sister Helen Prejean Speaks at Fordham Event

Ahead of Dead Man Walking Opera, Sister Helen Prejean Speaks at Fordham Event

Despite the presence of a Grammy Award-winner and a world-famous composer, it was a Catholic nun who drew the most applause when she arrived at St. Paul the Apostle Church. …

In Self-Produced Documentary, Student Explores New Angle on Catholicism

In Self-Produced Documentary, Student Explores New Angle on Catholicism

In a documentary that features a prominent cast of religious figures and artists, student Henry Sullivan is exploring how Catholics creatively imagine their faith. “People traditionally view Catholic art as …

Women Want Inclusion, Feel Hopeful After Talk with Top Vatican Nun

Women Want Inclusion, Feel Hopeful After Talk with Top Vatican Nun

“In the church, women are still second-class citizens, but I have hope,” said Jackie Baligian, who started a women’s ministry in her parish to give women a platform. Baligian was …