Jack Downey

Jack Downey is the John Henry Newman Professor of Roman Catholic Studies and Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester’s Department of Religion and Classics. He holds a PhD from Fordham University’s Department of Theology (2012) and previously taught at La Salle University. His research focuses on contemporary justice movements, liberation theologies, North American religious history, and intersections between Christianity and Buddhism. He authored The Bread of the Strong (2015), a study of contemplative influences on Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker movement.

His current research explores self-immolation, Roman Catholicism in Alaska and Québec, and asceticism. Teaching specialties include courses on civil disobedience (REL 284), Tibetan Buddhism (REL 269), and American religious history (REL 155). Office located at Rush Rhees Library 436.

Publications analyze topics ranging from colonialism critiques to environmental activism, combining theological analysis with social justice frameworks. His work bridges historical scholarship with contemporary ethical dilemmas in religious practice and activism.