Kellogg Institute Dissertation Year fellow Marie-Claire Klassen is a PhD candidate in moral theology with a minor in peace studies. Currently, her research focuses on the role of religion and women in nonviolent resistance movements. Her dissertation explores these themes through examining how Palestinian Christian women have contributed to shaping liberation theology at Sabeel, an ecumenical theology center in East Jerusalem. In 2019-2020, she received a Kellogg Graduate Research Grant for her project, "'Holding the Whole Sky': Women's Narratives of Faith, Justice, and Liberation in Palestine."
Before coming to Notre Dame to study theology, she completed an MA in Global Studies through the Erasmus Mundus Global Studies program, which provided her with the opportunity to study at the University of Vienna (Austria), Roskilde University (Denmark), and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). She has also worked and volunteered with NGOs in Lesotho and Israel-Palestine.