Meghan J. Clark, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. John’s University, has been awarded the Alan Richardson Fellowship at Durham University in England. Dr. Clark will be in residence at Durham from January to March 2027.
Dr. Clark joined the faculty at St. John’s University in 2011 and is recognized as a leading moral theologian with expertise in Catholic Social Teaching. “I am deeply honored,” Dr. Clark said. “My department has been very supportive and helpful in making all of this work.”
The Alan Richardson Fellowship supports research into contemporary Christian theology and is given annually to established scholars worldwide. Dr. Clark is the second faculty member from St. John’s theology and religious studies department to receive this fellowship; former Professor Nicholas Healy was selected before retiring from St. John’s in 2023.
During her time at Durham, Dr. Clark will focus on intergenerational justice, human development, and humanity’s moral responsibility toward future generations—a topic she previously explored as author of The Vision of Catholic Social Thought: The Virtue of Solidarity and the Praxis of Human Rights (Fortress Press, 2014). She also plans to examine ecological stewardship inspired by Pope Francis.
“Within the Catholic culture, we talk about the communion of saints—this sense that we are connected to people we have never met,” Dr. Clark said. “So how do we incorporate that Catholic imagination into something that looks forward? Something that builds on what Pope Francis was talking about when he said we are tenants of the planet.”
“That requires us to rethink how we understand our relationship to future generations, including generations we will never meet,” Dr. Clark added.
Durham University’s Department of Theology and Religion was founded in 1832 and is regarded as one of the leading centers for religious studies globally; its fellowship program has recognized prominent theologians for over two decades.
Rev. Patrick Flanagan, C.M., Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University, commented on Dr. Clark’s achievement: “Durham University confirms what St. John’s and the Department of Theology and Religious Studies already know about Dr. Clark’s expertise in Catholic social thought, global development, and solidarity,” Fr. Flanagan said. “Dr. Clark’s distinguished honor amplifies our institutional dedication to academic excellence, social responsibility, and service to the common good.”
St John’s University operates as a Catholic Vincentian institution dedicated to liberal arts education with campuses located in Queens and Manhattan, New York, along with international sites in Rome, Paris, and Limerick according to its official website. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate majors across six schools and colleges while supporting multicultural initiatives through various centers focused on local and global efforts [source]. Rev Brian J Shanley O.P has served as president [source].
