Lilian Calles Barger was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and immigrated as a child to the United States and received her Ph.D. in Humanities/History of Idea from the University of Texas at Dallas. She pursued an early career in business and went on to become the founder of The Damaris Project a non-profit cultural initiative engaging in inter-religious dialogue and creating multiple venues for conversation on faith, feminism, and life. She developed multiple programs to address the life concerns of women by drawing on literature, the arts, religion, and history. Her various social and cultural projects resulted in two trade books on women and religion and a historical study of liberation theology. She is a frequent podcast co-host for New Books Network and works as an independent historian and cultural critic. She is available to address conferences and university groups.