Research Fellow
Georgetown Representative in Rome
June 30, 2026
Several fellows from the Berkley Center, including John Borelli, José Casanova, Jocelyne Cesari, Leo Lefebure, Peter Mandaville, Peter Phan, and Debora Tonelli, recently traveled to the European Academy of Religion's Ninth Annual Conference, exploring the theme "Religion and (In)Equalities."
Debora Tonelli is a permanent researcher at the Center for Religious Studies (Centro per le Scienze Religiose) at the Fondazione Bruno Kessler. She is the Georgetown representative in Rome and a research fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. Tonelli is also a lecturer in religion and violence at Gregorian University and lecturer in political philosophy and philosophy and religion at Pontifical Atheneum S. Anselmo. Her research and teaching focus on the interaction between politics and religion, particularly in the context of interreligious dialogue and religious violence. Since 2013, Tonelli has coordinated an interdisciplinary project on "Religions and Violence." She holds a Ph.D. in political philosophy and in theology.
