DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Program Area(s):  International Relations; Political Theory

Dissertation Title:

Freeing Religion: Deconstructing and Decolonizing Religious Freedom and Secularism in the Americas

Dissertation Committee:  Elizabeth Shakman Hurd (chair), Ian Hurd, Kim Marion Suiseeya, Michelle Molina (Religious Studies), Carlos Manrique (University of Los Andes, Colombia).

Research Interests: Global religion and politics, transnational religious movements, religious freedom and secularism, political theologies, critical theories, post- and decolonial thought, international human rights, Latin American thought, international organizations, international relations theory, ethnographic and interpretive methods.

Publications: 

• “Global Challenges of Secularism and Religious Freedom” (with Elizabeth Shakman Hurd). Bilingual (English/Spanish). Otros Cruces, 2022. ISBN: 978-956-09375-9-9.
• The Paradoxes of Religious Freedom in Latin America [editor] (2019). Santiago: GEMRIP [in Spanish]. ISBN: 978-956-09375-1-3.
• "Towards the Possibility of an Ecofeminist Political Theology” [In Spanish]. Síntesis. Revista de Filosofía II(2) (August-December 2019): 114-131. DOI: 10.15691/0718-5448Vol2Iss2a292.
• “The Kairós of Ecological Justice: Approaches from the Global South.” Religion & Society 62 (1-2) (2017): 124-130. 
• “Challenging the Fortune: Machiavelli and the Concept of ‘Miracle’” [in Spanish]. In The Revolution of Machiavelli. The Prince After 500 Years. Diego Sazo (ed.), 251-266. Santiago: RIL Editores / CAIP Chile. 2013.
• “Homo Sacer and Divine Violence: The Non-sacrificeable Subjected to Punishment” [in Spanish]. Revista Pléyade 2 (2008): 22-32. 

Conference Presentations:

• “Agonistic” Democracy in the Americas: Civil Society’s Understandings of Religious Freedom and Secularism at the Organization of American States (OAS).” Paper presented at Religiosidades insumisas, protestas sociales y democracias hoy. University of Los Andes, Bogotá (Colombia). June 2022; ISA Northeast. Baltimore, Maryland. November 2022.
• “Secularism, Religious Freedom and the Rise of Transnational Evangelical Networks in the Organization of American States (OAS).” Paper presented at International Studies Association (ISA) Midwest. St. Louis, Missouri. November 2021; ISA Annual Convention. Nashville, Tennessee. April 2022.
• “Model and Penitent: King David in Niccolò Machiavelli’s Work.” Paper presented at American Political Science Association (APSA). Seattle, Washington. September 2021.
• “Political Theology and Ecofeminism: Weaving Solidarities Beyond Sovereignty.” Paper presented at Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA). Online. April 2021; American Political Science Association (APSA). Online. September 2021; Latin American Studies Association (LASA). Online. May 2022.
• “The Construction of a Secularized Society in Nineteenth-century Latin American: The Case of the Chilean Republic.” Paper presented at The Venice World Multidisciplinary Conference on Republics and Republicanism. Online. June 2021.
• “The Republican David of Machiavelli.” Paper presented at the XIII Congress of the Chilean Political Science Association (ACCP). Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago (Chile). October 2018 [in Spanish].

Honors and Awards: 

• Global Impacts Graduate Fellowship, Buffet Institute for Global Affairs. 2022-2023.
• Religion, Spirituality, and Democratic Renewal (RDSR) Doctoral Fellowship. Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and Fetzer Institute. 2022-2023.
• APSA Fund for Latino Scholarship. 2021.
• Mellon Cluster Fellowship in Critical Theory. Northwestern University. 2019.
• Travel Grant for Research in Florence (Italy) for M.A. dissertation work. Institute of Philosophy, Diego Portales University. December 2014-March 2015.
• M.A. Scholarship (Academic Excellence). Institute of Philosophy, Diego Portales University. 2013-2014.
• President of the Republic Grant (Academic Excellence) for Undergraduate Studies. The Government of Chile. 2007-2011.