Marilie Coetsee

Dr. Marilie Coetsee is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Hope College and a Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame's Center for Philosophy of Religion (2024-2025). She specializes in social and political philosophy with a focus on religion's role in democratic societies, political epistemology, and Islamic ethics.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Philosophy, Rutgers University (2018)
• M.A. in Religious Studies, Rutgers University (2019)
• M.A. in Philosophy, Stanford University (2011)
• B.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies, Stanford University (2010)

Her research examines how citizens navigate political disagreements rooted in religious differences, investigating obligations to reconsider beliefs, empathize with opposing views, and justify laws in pluralistic societies. She explores three primary areas: religion's impact on democratic citizenship, strategies for deep disagreement resolution, and defending democratic norms to illiberal citizens. Her interdisciplinary work connects political theory with moral psychology and Islamic jurisprudence.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on religious reasoning in public discourse, Islamic political thought, and epistemic virtues in democracy. Recent works analyze COVID-19 policy through religious ethics lenses while historical studies examine classical Islamic legal frameworks. Her forthcoming book Does Faith Belong in Politics? debates religious participation in pluralistic polities.

Awards:

• Notre Dame Center for Philosophy of Religion Research Fellowship (2024-2025)

Teaching emphasizes developing intellectual virtues through cross-cultural philosophical engagement, argument mapping, and applied ethics. She incorporates diverse traditions including Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian thought.