Maura Brennan

Maura Brennan interned at RFI during the summer of 2021 based on a recommendation from Dr. Daniel Philpott, her Notre Dame Professor and Senior Associate Scholar at RFI. Her time at RFI challenged her to think through the daily application of Religious Freedom’s first principles and eventually became a catalyst that clarified her academic and career goals. Once Maura completed her internship at RFI, she continued her studies in South Bend, and shifted her research focus to the intersection of national security and religious liberty on the international stage. She wrote her senior honors thesis in Political Science, “To Write the Right: An Analysis of U.S. Foreign Policy’s Hand in the Religious Freedom of Constitution-Building” during which time she consulted frequently with Tom Farr, one of RFI’s founders. She eventually graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in political science, global affairs, and theology with a certificate in national security. She currently lives in Washington, D.C. and works for the Government in the field of national security.

Maura notes that “RFI taught me that Religious Freedom is not secure simply because it is protected in law. It must also be embraced by the culture. It is a lens through which one must view all of life if it is to be both a fundamental right and a practical tool for pursuing peace and justice. I am grateful every day for what RFI gave me and what it continues to give to a growing group of alumni throughout the U.S. and around the world.”