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Professor Siobhán Garrigan

Professor Siobhán Garrigan

Loyola Professor of Catholic Theology, School of Religion

Biography

In 2021, Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ Radio One, asked Professor Siobhán Garrigan to present its flagship religious and spiritual affairs programme, The Leap of Faith, because of her public engagement and her theological research. Then in 2023, RTÉ commissioned her own programme, Witness with Siobhán Garrigan; it airs every Friday from October to April and on Christmas morning.

Prof. Garrigan works at the intersection of theology and social justice -- in her research, teaching, and wider public commitments. She studies and teaches about the ways that humans encounter the divine, and potentially become divine, through standing up to and against the forces of nationalism and capitalism/neo-liberalism that seek to define today's world, and she does so from a feminist and ecumenical standpoint. In particular, she writes about homelessness, sectarianism, racism, and queer life, asking how humans (and non-humans) can connect across the boundaries of difference, always with an eye to power dynamics, exposing how those boundaries and supposed categories of difference were devised in the first place.

In doing so, her methods give priority to people's lived experiences rather than to doctrinal texts, and she pays particular attention to ritual/worship/liturgy as a source of theological enactment, reflection and critique. At root, her work is sacramental theology -- a particular strand of theology in the Catholic tradition that seeks to interpret the material as spiritual, the embodied as the locus of divine revelation. Consequently, in her teaching she integrates art, music, poetry and performance with scholarly texts, encouraging students to think theologically through their encounters with these media. And in her public engagement, in addition to the radio programmes, she has served on the boards of several non-profit organisations in Ireland, the UK and the USA.

Prof. Garrigan is a skilled and experienced leader and manager, the only person to have been elected for two terms as Head of what is now the School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies (2016-2023), during which time she led the diverse departments/disciplines that comprise the School through a major review and reorganisation, and ultimately to agreement of a 5-year Strategic Plan for 2023-2028. Previously, as Dean of the Chapel at Yale University Divinity School she created and led a ground-breaking daily ecumenical worship programme (2002-2010), and as the founding Director of Emmaus Coventry (1993-1996), she started the second of what are now more than thirty intentional communities in the UK for people experiencing homelessness, based around recycling industries.

Her next book, due out with Cambridge University Press in 2024, is A Theology of Home in a Time of Homelessness. Her other monographs are Beyond Ritual (Ashgate 2004, reissued in 2010), and The Real Peace Process: Worship, Politics, and the End of Sectarianism (Equinox 2010, reissued in 2014 by Routledge). Details of her journal articles and other publications can be found below.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

  • A Flagging Peace in, editor(s)Cláudio Carvalhaes , Liturgy in Post-colonial Perspectives, New York, Palgrave, 2015, pp215 - 222, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2015
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Queer Worship: Theology and Queer Theory in Liturgical Practice, Theology and Sexuality, 52, (3), 2009, p211 - 239Journal Article, 2009
  • LITURGY, 23, 1, (2008), 1 - 80p, Siobhán Garrigan and Janet Walton, [eds.]Journal, 2008
  • Siobhán Garrigan, A Working Theology of the New, LITURGY: Journal of the Liturgical Conference, 23, (1), 2008, p5 - 13Journal Article, 2008
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Intellectuals in the Public Sphere: Habermas, Theology and Worship, The Irish Review, 32, 2004, p39 - 52Journal Article, 2004
  • Forgetting without Forgiving: The State of the Peace in Ireland, North and South in, editor(s)Andrea Bieler and Hans-Martin Guttman , After Violence: Religion, Trauma and Reconciliation, Leipzig, Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2011, pp167 - 179, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2011
  • Is ECUMENICAL Worship a Serious Business? in, editor(s)Melanie Ross and Simon Jones , The Serious Business of Worship, Edinburgh, T + T Clark, 2010, pp159 - 170, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2010
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Beyond Ritual: Sacramental Theology after Habermas, Abingdon, Oxon, Ashgate, 2004, 1 - 231ppBook, 2004
  • Siobhán Garrigan and Todd Johnson, Common Worship in Theological Education, Oregon, Wipf and Stock, 2009, 1 - 199ppBook, 2009
  • Teresa of Avila in, editor(s)Ian Markham , The Blackwells Companion to the Theologians, Oxford, Blackwells, 2009, pp375 - 389, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2009
  • Siobhan Garrigan, Loneliness: Theology's Last Taboo?, Milltown Studies, 76, (1), 2015, p83-89-Journal Article, 2015
  • The Hermeneutics of Intersubjectivity: A Study of Theologies of Homelessness in, editor(s)Stephan van Erp, Martin Poulsom and Lieven Boeve , Grace, Governance and Globalization: Theology and Public Life, London, Bloomsbury, 2017, pp62 - 76, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2017
  • Siobhán Garrigan, KEYNOTE - Peace as Home: Sectarianism and Homelessness as Twinned Theological Problems, Society for the Study of Theology [proceedings], April 2017, Society for the Study of Theology, 2017, pp1-12Conference Paper, 2017
  • Siobhán Garrigan & Marwa Al Sabouni, The Battle for Home, Mountains to Sea Festival, Dun Laoghaire, 25 March 2018, 2018Invited Talk, 2018
  • Siobhán Garrigan, The Women the Vatican Could Not Silence, 2 November 2019, 2019, Trinity College DublinMeetings /Conferences Organised, 2019
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Voices Pope Francis Will Not Hear, 20 August 2018, In:Voices Pope Francis Will Not Hear, 2018, School of Religion, Trinity College Dublin Meetings /Conferences Organised, 2018
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Keynote Address, Reassembling Democracy? Ritual as Resource, Oslo , 22-25 February 2017, 2017, University of OsloInvited Talk, 2017
  • Reconciliation: The Place of Prayer in Conflict and Peace-Making in, editor(s)Ashley Cocksworth and John C. McDowell , T&T Clark Handbook of Christian Prayer, London, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021, pp601 - 616, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2021
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Review Symposium of Manuel Mejido Costoya (Ed.) (2021) Land of Stark Contrasts: Faith-Based Responses to Homelessness in the United States New York: Fordham University Press., European Journal of Homelessness, 16, (1), 2022, p302 - 305Review Article, 2022
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Keynote: 'Capitalist Christianity and the Paradox of Women's Power', The Globalization of the Culture Wars? Religion, Gender, and Politics in the Public Square, Edinburgh University, 10 November 2022, edited by Rachel Muers and Ulrich Schmeidel (Eds.) , 2022, pp1-20Conference Paper, 2022
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Review Symposium, Review of Street Homelessness and Catholic Theological Ethics New York: Orbis Books., by James F. Keenan and Mark McGreevy (Eds) , European Journal of Homelessness, 14, (1), 2020, p178-181Review, 2020
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Keynote: 'Christian Imaginings of Home: Political Theology after Nationalism', Political Theologies after Christendom, Oxford University (Blavatnik Institute), 26-30 March 2023, edited by Marietta van ver Tol (Ed.) , 2023, pp1-20Conference Paper, 2023
  • Siobhán Garrigan, The Leap of Faith, Spring Series 2022, 2022Journal Article, 2022
  • Siobhán Garrigan, ''The Leap of Faith', Autumn Series 2022', RTÉ Radio One, 10 Episodes, Dublin, 2022, -Broadcast, 2022
  • Siobhán Garrigan, ''The Leap of Faith', Spring Series 2022', RTÉ Radio One, 4 Episodes, Dublin, 2022, -Broadcast, 2022
  • Siobhán Garrigan, ''Witness, with Siobhán Garrigan', Autumn Series 2023', RTÉ Radio One, 10 Episodes, Dublin, 2023, -Broadcast, 2023
  • Siobhán Garrigan, ''Witness, with Siobhán Garrigan', Spring Series 2024', RTÉ Radio One, 10 Episodes, Dublin, 2024, -Broadcast, 2024
  • Siobhán Garrigan, ''The Leap of Faith', Winter Series 2022', RTÉ Radio One, 10 Episodes, Dublin, 2022, -Broadcast, 2022
  • 'Queer Worship' in, editor(s)in Bryan Cones, Sharon R. Fennema, W. Scott Haldeman and Stephen Burns (Eds.) , Queering Christian Worship: Reconstructing Liturgical Theology, New York, Seabury Books, 2023, pp39 - 54, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2023
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Response to Joerg Rieger: 'Jesus vs. Caesar', The Westar Institute, The Christ Seminar, Lexington KY/online, 13 June, edited by Convener: Wilson Dickinson , 2024Oral Presentation, 2024
  • Siobhán Garrigan, The Real Peace Process: Worship, Politics and the End of Sectarianism, London, Equinox, 2010, 1 - 240ppBook, 2010
  • The Ethics of Liturgy and Worship in, editor(s)Juliette Day and Benjamin Gordon-Taylor , The Study of Liturgy and Worship, London, SPCK, 2013, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter, 2013
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Irish Theology as White Theology: A Case of Mistaken Identity?, Modern Theology, 30, (2), 2014, p193 - 218Journal Article, 2014
  • Siobhán Garrigan, A New Model for Ecumenical Worship, Studia Liturgica, 43, (1), 2013, p32 - 53Journal Article, 2013
  • Planning the Liturgy in, editor(s)Eamon Duffy and Enda Lyons , Celebrating the Triduum, Dublin, Columba Press, 1999, pp29 - 52, [Siobhán Garrigan]Book Chapter
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Food, Famine and the Irish Eucharistic Experience, Céide, 3, (2), 1999, p44 - 45Journal Article
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Worship in a Violent World: Deconstructing Ordinary Liturgies, Reflections, 91, (1), 2004, p45 - 49Journal Article
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Eat, Drink, ALL? of you., The Furrow, 53, (11), 2002, p606 - 611Journal Article
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Putting Life into Liturgy, The Furrow, 51, (2), 2000, p80 - 86Journal Article
  • Siobhán Garrigan, Geraldine Mitchell & Una Mannion, Or Would You Rather Be A Fish?, Linenhall, Castlebar, 26 September 2017, 2017Invited Talk

Research Expertise

Performing arts, Social and economic geography, Humanities and the arts, Earth and related environmental sciences, Philosophy, Ethics and Religion, Other Humanities, Education, Other social sciences,

Recognition

  • Ecumenical Fellowship, Union Theological Seminary (Columbia University) New York 1991
  • Yale University Presidential Citation for Excellence - Extraordinary Service Award 2008
  • Fellowship, Trinity College Dublin 2016
  • Award for Excellence in Supervision of Research Students (School of RTPS) 2023
  • University Merit Award (for inclusive pedagogy), Exeter University, UK 2012