Carol Zaleski is a scholar and writer about religion. Zaleski previously taught at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, where she received her PhD in the study of religion, and is the professor of world religions at

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

. She is the author of several acclaimed books on religion, including ''Otherworld Journeys'', ''The Life of the World to Come'' and, with her husband

Philip Zaleski Philip Zaleski is the author and editor of several books on religion and spirituality, including ''The Recollected Heart,'' ''The Benedictines of Petersham,'' and ''Gifts of the Spirit.'' In addition, he is coauthor with his wife Carol Zaleski of ' ...

, ''The Book of Heaven'' and ''Prayer: A History'' (''New York Times'' notable book; ''Christian Science Monitor'' best nonfiction books of 2005). Also with her husband Philip she wrote in 2015 ''The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams'' which received laudatory reviews from ''The New York Times Book Review'', ''The Washington Post'', ''Time'', and the ''Los Angeles Times''. Zaleski is celebrated for her writings on the afterlife, which include the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

'' articles on heaven, hell, and purgatory. Journalist Lisa Miller has called her "the mother of modern heaven studies". Her published lectures include "In Defense of Immortality", which was part of the

Ingersoll Lectures on Human Immortality The Ingersoll Lectures is a series of lectures presented annually at Harvard University on the subject of immortality. Endowment ''The Ingersoll Lectureship'' was established by a bequest by Caroline Haskell Ingersoll, who died in 1893, leaving $50 ...

, and the Albert Cardinal Meyer Lectures at the University of

University of Saint Mary of the Lake The University of Saint Mary of the Lake (USML) is a private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hir ...

(published as "The Life of the World to Come"). She writes a regular column on faith for ''

The Christian Century ''The Christian Century'' is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of US mainline Protestantism, the monthly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews ...

'', where she is also editor-at-large, and her essays and reviews appear frequently in newspapers and magazines, including ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', ''

First Things ''First Things'' (''FT'') is an ecumenical and conservative religious journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The magazine, which focuses on theology, liturgy, church history, religio ...

'', ''

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

'', ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

''. Her 2003 ''First Things'' essay on "The Dark Night of Mother Teresa" received attention as an early exploration of

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was bo ...

's spiritual trials. In 2003, 2005, and 2008, she won the

Associated Church Press Associated Church Press (aka "ACP", founded in 1916) is a professional membership organization brought together by a common commitment to excellence in journalism as a means to describe, reflect, and support the life of faith and the Christian commu ...

Award of Excellence in Theological Reflection. Zaleski's intellectual journey to Catholicism was included in the "How my mind has changed" series of reflections by noted theologians published at ten-year intervals by ''

''.

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* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zaleski, Carol Living people Harvard University alumni Smith College faculty Year of birth missing (living people) Harvard University faculty Place of birth missing (living people)