Rebecca Sager, assistant professor of sociology, has been awarded one of two visiting fellowships at the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University.

During the yearlong fellowship, Sager will study with noted sociologist Robert Wuthnow, director of the Center for the Study of Religion, and work on a project that examines "how religion is being integrated into the Democratic Party, both in its campaigning and its policies."

"I feel very honored to be able to spend time at Princeton working with scholars from around the world," said Sager. "It will be an amazing opportunity to enhance my knowledge of the role of religion in public life and I look forward to bringing all that I have learned back with me to LMU."

In Fall 2008 Sager was awarded a National Science Foundation grant and her book, The Politics of Faith: State Implementation of Faith-Based Initiatives, will be published in November 2009 by Oxford University Press. The Politics of Faith will explore the legacy of faith-based policies and how these initiatives served as powerful political symbols used to reshape church/state relationships and distribution of political power.

Sager’s research interests include the intersection of religion and public life, particularly how religion impacts policy and politics, religion’s role in social movements and the sociology of religion. She received her B.A. from U.C. San Diego, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.