Chaplains and Religious Life

Who We Are

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Who We Are

The day-to-day work in the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life makes possible connections between the Brown family and its neighboring religious and community organizations. The many campus departments and organizations, with which OCRL collaborates, match and then multiply its efforts throughout the University.

On average, the chaplaincy and its affiliates engage approximately 60 percent of the student body and 40 percent of Brown's staff, faculty and alumni.

Through the multifaith character of the chaplaincy and its relationship to some eighteen religious life affiliates, OCRL continues to support a diversity of beliefs in the Brown University community, facilitating the deepening of individuals' experience within their own belief systems and expanding religious literacy, broadening knowledge of other spiritualities and religious ideas that abound on campus, and promoting an ongoing interfaith dialogue.

The Chaplains

Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson

Chaplain of the University

janet_cooper-nelson@brown.edu
Fr. Justin Bolger, O.P.

Associate Chaplain of the University for the Catholic Community

justin_bolger@brown.edu
Rev. Delphain Demosthenes

Associate Chaplain of the University for the Protestant Community

delphain_demosthenes@brown.edu
Imam Amir Toft

Associate Chaplain of the University for the Muslim Community

amir_toft@brown.edu
Rabbi Josh Bolton

Interim Associate Chaplain of the University for the Jewish Community

joshua_bolton@brown.edu

Chaplaincy Interns

Staff

Philip Torphy

Administrative Coordinator

philip_torphy@brown.edu

401-863-2346
Julia Alexander

Program Assistant

julia_alexander@brown.edu

401-863-2344

Faculty Affiliates

Mark Steinbach

University Organist, Instrument Curator, and Distinguished Senior Lecturer in Music

mark_steinbach@brown.edu

401-863-2344

Religious Life Affiliates

Religious Life Affiliates (RLAs) at Brown work in concert with the OCRL to gather and nurture the wide variety of faith traditions present on campus. From Islam to Judaism to Christianity to Hinduism and beyond, the affiliates coordinate and make visible Brown's vibrant religious life. RLAs support student religious organizations and are supervised by the University’s chaplains.