معرفی
Barbara A. McGraw serves as Professor of Social Ethics, Law, and Public Life at Saint Mary's College of California, where she founded and directs the Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism. She holds dual affiliations with Harvard University's Pluralism Project as an Affiliate and the McCollum Foundation for Peace as International Interfaith Ambassador.
Her educational credentials include a Ph.D. in Religion and Social Ethics and a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Southern California, complemented by membership in the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. Prior to academia, she practiced corporate finance law at Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom.
Dr. McGraw pioneered the concept of 'America's Sacred Ground' as the aspirational moral foundation of U.S. political discourse, arguing that religious pluralism is central to resolving church-state conflicts beyond the secular/religious binary. Her research integrates law, political theory, and religious studies to advance interfaith leadership in professions, civic engagement, and institutional settings like prisons. She advocates for religious liberty through scholarly work and public commentary on media platforms.
Her publications reveal evolving focus from foundational religious liberty jurisprudence (2003-2010) toward applied interfaith leadership frameworks (2016-2025), particularly examining professional ethics, prison chaplaincy, and cross-cultural leadership in pluralistic societies. Recent works increasingly address theological dimensions of American founding documents.
Dr. McGraw's scholarly impact is recognized through major awards:
- Mahatma Gandhi Award for Advancement of Religious Pluralism (2014)
- Finalist, Religion and Politics Book Award (2009)
- Phi Kappa Phi Highest Honors (1997)
- Order of the Coif Highest Honors (1984)
- Judge Nelson Administrative Justice Award (1984)
She actively shapes discourse through speaking engagements at institutions including the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, American Academy of Religion, and United Nations-affiliated organizations. Her leadership includes serving on the AAR's Committee for Public Understanding of Religion (2011-2016), presidency of AAR/Western Region, and co-chairing the Religion and Politics Section for seven years.
The Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism operates through three core initiatives: the Prison Religion Project addressing religious freedom in correctional facilities, the Governmental Chaplaincy Program (G-CARD) promoting religious diversity in public chaplaincy, and campus-wide interfaith leadership workshops. These programs reflect her 'scholar-activist' approach to translating theory into institutional change.
