Carroll J. Bourg, 1928-2015, Past President of ASR, by Anthony J. Blasi

Carroll’s thoughtful and conceptually-oriented writings reveal a continuing interest in a participatory sociology, the Jesuits, the participatory endeavors of youth, the compass of sociology as a discipline, religion, and the well-being of the elderly. Members of the Association for the Sociology of Religion remember him as the editor of the journal, Sociological Analysis (1973-1980), in many respects defining the character of the journal which typifies it to this day, under the name Sociology of Religion. He served as president of the Association in 1980.

Carroll J. Bourg, 1928-2015 Carroll Julian Bourg was born November 22, 1928, in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and lived his childhood in Chevy Chase, Maryland. His first name was given in honor of a family friend from the historical Catholic Carroll family of Maryland. After graduating from Gonzaga High School in Washington and briefly attending Georgetown University, he entered the Jesuit order, studying philosophy at Spring Hill College (1951-53) and, after teaching mathematics and serving as bandleader at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia, studied theology at Woodstock College (1957-61). He earned the Ph.D. at Brandeis University (1967) with a dissertation on “sociology as participation.” During those years, he left the Jesuits, met Karen Fernekees, and married her. They moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1968, where Carroll chaired the sociology department at Fisk University until his retirement in 1996, and Karen eventually joined the faculty of Nashville Community College. Carroll’s thoughtful and conceptually-oriented writings reveal a continuing interest in a participatory sociology, the Jesuits, the participatory endeavors of youth, the compass of sociology as a discipline, religion, and the well-being of the elderly. Members of the Association for the Sociology of Religion remember him as the editor of the journal, Sociological Analysis (1973-1980), in many respects defining the character of the journal which typifies it to this day, under the name Sociology of Religion. He served as president of the Association in 1980. In subsequent years he was active in local civic organizations in Nashville, including the Belmont Hillsboro Neighborhood Association, Citizens for Better Neighborhoods, the Nashville Peace and Justice Center, and the Council of Community Services. He suffered a stroke in the 1990s that partially impaired his vision, but he remained an avid reader and peace activist, especially in the Catholic peace and justice organization, Pax Christi. An early riser, he would jog mornings and always find delight in little things—black raspberry ice cream, the sunrise, birds in the back yard, and dinner conversation, especially about politics. He viewed politics from the perspective of Catholic social thought. Carroll is survived by his wife, Karen; sons, Julian and Jonathan; daughter, Kristen, and her husband, Steve; grandchildren, Sarah, Evan, and Will; and sisters, Mary Frances, Terry, and Kathy. He is preceded in death by his sister, Julie Ann, and brother, Ted. A service for him was held at Fisk University memorial Chapel. Anthony J. Blasi University of Texas, San Antnio