Georgian Court University’s Lakewood campus will continue to operate virtually on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. All university offices, including the library, will operate virtually. Classes will continue online to the extent possible. Students should consult Blackboard Learn for specific course information.

All student vehicles must remain in the designated parking area in Lot A. Please refer to the signs posted in the residence halls for additional details.

For in-person classes not held on the Lakewood campus, GCU classes will follow the closure or cancellation decisions of the host location.

Nursing faculty should contact Dean Wurmser regarding clinical attendance.

Raymond Hall Dining Room will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.The Café will be closed.

The Fitness Center will operate under normal hours.

Elissa Cutter

Dr. Elissa Cutter

Associate Professor of Religious Studies & Theology
732-987-2321
E-MAIL ME

School:

School of Arts, Sciences, and Education

Department:

World Cultures & Human Experience

Office Location:

Jeffries Hall 223

Office Hours:

Fall 2025

  • Mondays, 1:00–3:00 p.m.
  • Thursdays, 9:30–10:30 a.m.
  • Fridays, 11:30–1:30 p.m. on Zoom

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in Theological Studies, Saint Louis University, 2016.
  • M.A. in Theology, Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, 2009.
  • A.B. in French and Theology, Georgetown University, 2003.

Professional Experience

  • Georgian Court University, Religious Studies & Theology, Assistant Professor, 2019–2025; Associate Professor, 2025-present.
  • Loyola Marymount University, Theological Studies, Postdoctoral Faculty Fellow, 2016–19.

Courses Taught:

  • GEN199, Discovering the Self in the Universe
  • RS220, Exploring Christian Theology
  • RS220 (honors), Exploring Christian Theology
  • RS334, Theological Ethics
  • RS334 (online), Theological Ethics
  • RS336, Social Justice Ethics
  • RS336 (honors), Social Justice Ethics
  • RS360 (online), African American Religious Experience
  • RS401, Seminar in Religious Thought
  • RS405, Sources & Methods in Theology
  • TH500, Introduction to Theological Study
Interested in study abroad? Check out the blog reports from our Summer 2024 Ethics: Business, Religion, and History in Paris.

Recent Publications:

  • “Mother Angélique Arnauld’s Reflections on Reform: Creating Unity and Managing Dissent at Port-Royal.” Catholic Historical Review 110, no. 3 (2024), pp. 463–88.
  • “Angélique Arnauld and the Reform of Port-Royal” (introduction to and translation of letter to Louis Macquet). In Jansenism: An International Anthology, edited by Shaun Blanchard and Richard T. Yoder, p. 102–11. Early Modern Catholic Sources series, Catholic University of America Press, 2024.
  • Women and Public Theology: Emerging Voices, with Allison Murray. Paulist Press, 2024.
  • “Apology in the Form of Autohagiography: Angélique Arnauld’s Defense of Her Reform of Port-Royal.” Catholic Historical Review 105, no. 2 (2019), pp. 275–303.

Research / Creativity Interest Area

  • Catholic theological tradition
  • Historical theology
  • Feminist theology
  • Seventeenth-century French spirituality
  • Jansenism
  • Port-Royal nuns
  • Mother Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)

Additional Information

  • Recipient of the 2024 Virginia Graham Award for Teaching Excellence
  • Inspired by feminist and Jesuit pedagogical traditions
  • Proponent of experiential learning, especially service-learning pedagogy and study abroad
  • Participated in: 2022 Wabash Hybrid Teaching and Learning Workshop for Early Career Religion Faculty Teaching Undergraduates; 2023 Interfaith America’s Teaching Interfaith Understanding Seminar; 2024 Carlow Roundtable in Dublin, Ireland; 2025 Wabash Creative Writing Roundtable
  • Co-editor for the blog WIT: Women in Theology
  • For more information, including more detailed information about my research and teaching philosophy, see my academic homepage

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