Carol Rittner

Dr. Carol Rittner, RSM, is an internationally recognized scholar and educator in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, widely respected for her lifelong commitment to advancing human rights and combating hatred. As Distinguished Professor Emerita at Stockton University, Dr. Rittner’s career has spanned decades of groundbreaking work in both academia and global humanitarian efforts.

She holds a B.A. in English, an M.A. in Religious Studies, and an Ed.D. in Educational Administration, reflecting her interdisciplinary expertise and passion for teaching. Her scholarship and advocacy have taken her far beyond the classroom, including close collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel to raise awareness about the Holocaust’s enduring lessons.

Dr. Rittner has organized and led numerous international conferences and study missions, bringing scholars, educators, and community leaders together to confront the root causes of genocide and promote education as a tool for peace. She has produced several acclaimed documentary films and co-edited influential publications that explore the moral and ethical challenges of responding to atrocities, including "The Courage to Care" and "The Holocaust and the Christian World." 

Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors and awards, including several honorary doctorates, for her tireless efforts to foster remembrance and prevention of genocide. As a Sister of Mercy, she brings a profound spiritual and ethical dimension to her work, inspiring generations to stand against indifference and embrace the call to justice and compassion.

Dr. Rittner is the author, editor, or co-editor of numerous essays and books about the Holocaust and Christian-Jewish relations, including Memory Offended: The Auschwitz Convent Controversy (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1991); What’s the “Good News” After Auschwitz? (Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2001), Pius XII and the Holocaust (London and New York: University of Leicester Press/Continuum Publishers, 2002); No Going Back: Letters to Pope Benedict XVI on the Holocaust, Christian-Jewish Relations and the State of Israel (Laxton, UK: Quill Press, 2009); The Holocaust and Nostra Aetate: Toward A Greater Understanding (Greensburg, PA: Seton Hill University Press, 2017); and The Holocaust and the Christian World, 2nd ed. (Mahwah, NJ: A Stimulus Book, Paulist Press, 2019). She is the co-editor, with John K. Roth, of the forthcoming book Stress Test: The Hamas-Israel War and Christian-Jewish Relations (iPub Cloud, 2025).

Read more about Carol Rittner at https://carolrittner.com/