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(1937-) Professor and Chair of Sociology, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, where he has taught since 1970, after completing his Ph.D. in sociology at Harvard. President, Association for the Sociology of Religion, 1998.

Principally an essayist, Kelly's early articles centered on the social and cultural significance of ecumenism and related changes in religion, particularly as a result of the Second Vatican Council in the Roman Catholic Church. His most recent publications in both scholarly journals and such more general periodicals as America, Commonweal , and Christian Century continue a decision to work to link the academy with its appropriate larger publics (e.g., "Why Republican and New Democrat Welfare Changes Both Need Legal Abortion," America , 1996). In 1995, he was awarded the Catholic Press Association First Place award for best book review. In addition to writing on these topics, Kelly has been a member of the NYC Ecumenical Commission since 1974 and, soon after its inception, a member of the Board of Advisors of the Common Ground Network for Life and Choice. He has also reviewed major Lilly Endowment grants (and was author of a study of the Renew Program and The First Decade of Catholic Grants ) and has recently completed (with Gene Hamrick) a four-phase national study for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops of the restored order of the diaconate.

—William H. Swatos, Jr .

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