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 faith and culture in general, is the mission of the Center on Religion and Culture, which brings prominent speakers to Fordham each year.
Formed in 2004 to “engage and elevate the public dialogue about religion and culture,” the center’s broad mandate gives CRC Director David Gibson and Assistant Director Olivia Poust a few “lanes” in which to drive home this conversation. Their work includes a blog, Sapientia; a forthcoming podcast; media appearances; and pieces for outlets like the New York Times. (A journalist by trade, Gibson spent many years covering the Vatican, and is often asked to expound on ecclesial matters like the conclave.)
But the CRC’s biggest draw is their event lineup. Since Gibson became director in 2017, the center has attracted many boldface names, including Ethan Hawke and Jessica Chastain, to discuss projects informed by faith and religion.
“We lean into the culture side of religion and culture,” said Gibson, in a way that is representative of all traditions. “Interfaith, any faith, no faith—anything that gets you in the door in person to experience art or converse with an artist.”
Prioritizing Students
Gibson joined Fordham with the goal of drawing younger audiences to CRC events. Having Poust’s input has been incredibly helpful, he said. “It’s good to have someone else from a different generation who can say, ‘That will click with people.’”
The Instagram-famous dogsledder and young memoirist Blair Braverman kicks off their fall lineup this Thursday, Oct. 9. Gibson noticed that amid her dog-centric posts, she often wrote about her Jewish identity. “That’s almost the perfect lane—somebody who has an amazing life story and who is informed by certain values.”
Also in the CRC’s “lane”: Gregory Maguire, the Catholic author of Wicked, who will be speaking about art and spirituality on Oct. 23 ahead of the November release of Wicked: For Good, the film’s sequel.
“When we get high-profile people like this, we try to give priority to Fordham students,” said Gibson. “We want them to graduate knowing that they have been to school in the culture capital of the world. And if you come to our events, you’ll have had experiences you couldn’t have anywhere else.”
Programming for All
Anniversaries also inform the center’s programming. To honor the 60th anniversary of “Nostra Aetate,” which opened the Catholic Church to dialogue with Judaism and other non-Christian religions, the CRC organized the Oct. 20 lecture, “The Faith of Others,” in partnership with other departments.
“We like to collaborate and do these things that are a little more scholarly, but also very relevant. I mean, there’s nothing more relevant today than Jewish-Christian relations given the state of the world and rise of antisemitism,” said Gibson.
And in celebration of a new, graphic edition of the memoir Dead Man Walking, which inspired an Oscar-nominated film and an opera, its author, Sister Helen Prejean, returns to Fordham as the CRC’s guest Nov. 6. (Sister Prejean, a tireless activist against capital punishment, received an honorary Fordham doctorate in 2024.)
Despite the big names the center attracts, Gibson acknowledges that the CRC can still seem “off the radar” within Fordham. To increase the center’s visibility on campus, a life-size cutout of the pope, first Francis, now Leo, greets passersby outside its office on the first floor of the Gabelli School at Lincoln Center. Both men project the inclusive mission of the CRC, said Gibson.
“We are open to everybody.”
