Robert Scott Appleby (born 1956) is an American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

, focusing in global religion and its relationship to peace and conflict, integral

human development Human development may refer to: * Development of the human body ** This includes physical developments such as growth, and also development of the brain * Developmental psychology * Development theory * Human development (economics) * Human Develo ...

, and comparative modern religion. He is a

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

of history at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

and served as the Marilyn Keough Dean of th
Keough School of Global Affairs
from 2014-2024.

Life

Appleby graduated from Notre Dame in 1978. He earned his PhD from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in 1985. From 1982 to 1987, he chaired the religious studies department of Saint Xavier College, Chicago. From 1988 to 1993, he was co-director, with

Martin E. Marty Martin Emil Marty (February 5, 1928 – February 25, 2025) was an American Lutheran religious scholar who wrote extensively on religion in the United States. Biography Early life Marty was born on February 5, 1928, in West Point, Nebraska, ...

, of the Fundamentalism Project, an international scholarly public policy study of religious movements throughout the world, funded by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has been a faculty member at the

since 1994, where he became the John M. Regan Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. He co-directs, with Ebrahim Moosa and Atalia Omer, the Contending Modernities project, which explores the interaction among Catholic, Muslim, and secular forces in the modern world. Appleby was named the founding dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs at Notre Dame in 2014, where he served until June 30, 2024.Garry, Kate. "Scott Appleby to step down as founding dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs after a decade of service," ''Notre Dame News'', August 17, 2023
/ref> In 2011, Appleby gave the "Cole Lectures" at

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

. Previous speakers include

George Arthur Buttrick George Arthur Buttrick (March 23, 1892 – January 23, 1980) was an English-born, American-based Christian preacher, author and lecturer.T. A. Prickett, ''The Story of Preaching'', Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2011, pp. 80-8/ref> Early life ...

Paul Tillich Paul Johannes Tillich (; ; August 20, 1886 – October 22, 1965) was a German and American Christian existentialist philosopher, religious socialist, and Lutheran theologian who was one of the most influential theologians of the twenti ...

, and

Jim Wallis James E. Wallis Jr. (born June 4, 1948) is an American theologian, writer, teacher and political activist. He is best known as the founder and former editor of ''Sojourners'' magazine and as the founder of the Washington, D.C.–based Christi ...

.Owens, Ann Marie Deer. "R. Scott Appleby: 2011 Cole Lectures", ''Vanderbilt News'', October 24, 2011
/ref> In February 2017, he gave a lecture at the 3rd SRP Distinguished Lecture and Symposium of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at

Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1981, it is also the second oldest autonomous university in the country. The university is organised across numerous colleges and schools, includi ...

in Singapore. He is a board member of the

George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...

Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution. He serves on the advisory board of The Charles and Margaret Hall Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at Notre Dame.

Works

Appleby is the general editor of the Cornell University Press series Catholicism in Twentieth Century America, and lead editor of the Oxford University Press book series Studies in Strategic Peacebuilding. Appleby co-edited wit
Atalia Omer
''The Oxford Handbook on Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding'' (Oxford University Press, 2015).

Books

* ''Transforming Parish Ministry: The Changing Roles of Clergy, Laity, and Women Religious'' (1989) * ''Fundamentalism Project'' with Martin E. Marty, five-volumes (Chicago, 1991–2004) * ''The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence, and Reconciliation'', (Rowman & Littlefield, 2000) * ''Church and the Age Unite! The Modernist Impulses in American Catholicism'', (University of Notre Dame Press, 1992) *''Peacebuilding: Catholic Theology, Ethics and Praxis'' (Orbis, 2010) *''Catholics in the American Century'' (Cornell University Press, 2012)

Articles

* "Job Description for the Next Pope", ''Foreign Policy'', (2009)

Awards

Appleby was the 2001 Mahatma M.K. Gandhi Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences The Baptist Theological Union of the University of Chicago Divinity School named Appleby Alumnus of the Year for 2003. He was named founding dean of the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs in 2014. In 2019 Appleby was honored with the Religion and International Studies Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies Association.LaReau, Renée. "Notre Dame’s Scott Appleby honored with Religion and International Studies Distinguished Scholar Award", ''Notre Dame News'', March 28, 2019
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Appleby, R. Scott 1956 births 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers 21st-century American historians 21st-century American male writers Living people Peace and conflict scholars University of Chicago alumni University of Notre Dame alumni University of Notre Dame faculty 20th-century American male writers