Education

• University of Virginia - Ph.D. Candidate, Religious Studies
• University of Virginia - M.A. Religious Studies, Theology, Ethics, and Culture
• University of Virginia - B.A. Religious Studies

Research Interests

Meghan is interested in the exploration of apophatic theology and its intersection with lived experiences of suffering, both at systemic and individual levels, with consideration for the dynamism between self and society. In particular, she is interested in how liberation theology’s emphasis on the epistemological necessity of the centering of marginalized voices - and, conversely, the epistemological limitations of privileged individuals when speaking theologically - finds parallels in the mystical apophatic knowledge of God and God’s sacramental presence in the other. 

Pragmatically, she is interested in how theological formation impacts the rhetorical representation of themes around mercy, justice, love, beauty, and simplicity, and how those rhetorical representations by religious leaders concretely impact the work of peace building and justice in nation-states. 

Her research currently focuses on the application of principles of inclusion and integral ecology at the intersection of religious institutions and political actors, the role of religious leaders in conflict prevention and post-conflict stabilization and reconciliation, and the application of religious social ethics to the American political context. 

Selected Publications

• "The Work of the Church and Care for Creation: Implementing an Integral Ecology in Praxis,” the keynote address at the first Laudato Si conference at Creighton University in 2019, subsequently published in a special edition of the Journal of Moral Theology in Spring 2020.
• “A Theology of Suffering and Liberation: A Discourse between St. John of the Cross and Gustavo Gutierrez,” UVA 2013.