News & Notes

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New hire: Dr. Jos Moons, SJ

We are very pleased to announce that, in Fall 2025, Dr. Jos Moons, S.J. will join our faculty as Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology.

A graduate of Tilburg University (The Netherlands), as a Catholic theologian his areas of theological expertise encompass ecclesiology, pneumatology, and synodality. 

We look forward to his theological contributions and to his teaching.

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New Minors and Expanded Major

The Theology Department has launched three new minors and an Expanded Theology Major

The new minors are Catholic Education and Theology, offered in conjunction with the Lynch School of Education and Human Development; Theology and Philosophy, in partnership with the Philosophy Department; and Interreligious Studies.

Compared to the Theology Major, the Expanded Theology Major has increased credit hours and an optional thesis.

The Theology Department continues to offer its Theology Minor as well as its popular minors in Religion and Public Life and Faith, Peace, and Justice.

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New hire: Dr. Roberto De La Noval

We are very pleased to announce that, in Fall 2025, Dr. Roberto De La Noval will join our faculty as a full-time Assistant Professor of the Practice in Christian Theology.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Dr. De La Noval will contribute to the Perspectives program by teaching two sections of Perspectives on Western Culture each year. 

We look forward to benefit from his competence and his involvement in the life of the Department.

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Top 100 Books of the Century

Darald and Juliet Libby Millennium Professor of Theology and Law Cathleen Kaveny’s 2016 book Prophecy without Contempt: Religious Discourse in the Public Square has been chosen by the online journal Current as 36th of the top 100 books of the 21st century.

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Joseph Chair of Theology

Dr. Kristin E. Heyer has been appointed the Joseph Chair of Theology.  The appointment recognizes her excellence as a scholar and a teacher. Congratulations!

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Dr. Lisa Sowle Cahill: 2024 Ann O’Hara Graff Memorial Award

At the 78th Annual Convention in Baltimore, MD (June 13-June 16, 2024), Dr. Lisa Sowle Cahill was awarded the prestigious 2024 Ann O’Hara Graff Memorial Award.

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Dr. M. Shawn Copeland: President's Award 2024

At the 70th Annual Convention at Regis University, in Denver, CO (May 30-June 2, 2024), the College Theology Society awarded Dr. M. Shawn Copeland the prestigious 2024 President's Award.

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2024 Commencement: 16 graduates were honored

During the 2024 Commencement our 16 graduates were honored: 

  1. Dr. Domenik Ackerman
  2. Dr. Sara Bernard-Hovestad
  3. Dr. Robert Elliot
  4. Dr. Dunstan Enzor, OSB
  5. Dr. Peter K. Fay
  6. Dr. Nicholas Hayes-Mota
  7. Dr. Robert (Zac) Karanovich
  8. Dr. Emma McDonald
  9. Dr. Nozomi (Sophia) Miura, RSCJ
  10. Dr. Katie Mahowski Mylroie
  11. Dr. Hilary Ogonna Nwainya
  12. Dr. Laurel Marshall Potter
  13. Dr. Chanelle Robinson
  14. Dr. Dhinakaran Savariyar
  15. Dr. Stephen Suhr
  16. Dr. Byron Wratee
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In Memoriam: Dr. Thomas E. Wangler

Dr. Thomas E. Wangler, a retired associate professor of theology who taught at Boston College for 44 years and was active in faculty governance, died on April 24. He was 85.

Read more on BC News
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Graduate Students Awards 2024

The Center for Teaching Excellence awarded the Donald J. White Teaching Award to: Daniel N. Gustafson, S.J. (Teaching Assistant); Chanelle Robinson (Teaching Fellow), and John D. Steichen (Teaching Fellow).

The Center for Teaching Excellence also awarded the Apprenticeship in College Teaching to: Sara Bernard-Hoverstad, Br. Dunstan Enzor, O.S.B.; Brett McLaughlin, S.J.; Greg Mileski; Chanelle Robinson; Dhinakaran Savariyar; Stephen Surh; and Qi Zeng.

The Morrissey College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences awarded: the Donald and Hélène White Prize for the Outstanding Dissertation in the Field of Humanities to Nicholas Hayes-Mota for his dissertation "Practicing the Common Good: Catholic Tradition, Community Organizing, and the Virtues of Democratic Policy;" Sixth Year Fellowships to Kasey Kimball and María Soledad (Sole) Del Villar Tagle; and the Endowed Martin Family Foundation Scholarship in Honor of St. John Paul to Daniel N. Gustafson, S.J.

In the photo (from left): Greg Mileski; Daniel N. Gustafson, S.J.; Chanelle Robinson; Dhinakaran Savariyar; and Qi Zeng.

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Arts and Theology Awards 2024

Two graduate students in the Theology Department–Robin Landrith and Jess Navarrete–submitted art artifacts for the Arts and Theology Awards 2024, which is part of the 26th Annual Boston College Arts Festival held at Boston College on April 25-27, 2024. Two faculty members served as judges and assessed both submissions.

Robin Landrith submitted three poems: "Blue," "Vigil," and "Hallgrímskirkja." She was awarded the first prize.

Jess Navarrete submitted the song titled "Door of My Heart / Listen to My Soul Song," performed by Jess Navarette and the Ever In Bloom Kirtan Ensemble. He was awarded an honorable mention.

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2024 Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence

On April 15, 2024, Barry University’s Department of Theology and Philosophy honored Dr. Mary Ann Hinsdale, I.H.M., with the 2024 Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence.

Receiving the award, Dr. Hinsdale delivered the lecture "Synodality: Pitfalls and Promises of a New Moment in the Catholic Church."

In her lecture, Dr. Hinsdale addressed four topics that have emerged from the synod: 1) the “conversations in the Spirit” which were the hallmarks of its process; 2) its vision of a community receptive to the diverse voices and gifts of all the baptized, especially those on “the peripheries”; 3) the resistance on the part of some bishops and others to walking a path of listening and genuine dialogue; 4) the hopes and challenges that await the synodal gathering in the fall of 2024 and the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council in 2025.

The Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence of Barry University’s Department of Theology and Philosophy recognizes the contributions of contemporary theologians who embody the spirit of Cardinal Yves Congar, O.P. (1904-1995), by working, writing, and teaching in light of the tradition while moving that tradition forward to meeting the challenges of today.

Dr. Hinsdale is a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Monroe, MI) and an Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College. Her academic specializations are in theological anthropology, ecclesiology, and feminist and ecological theologies. A former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, her publications include Women Shaping Theology, “It Comes from thePeople”: Community Development and Local Theologies, co-authored with Helen Lewis and Maxine Waller, and many articles and book chapters.

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Boston College places 11th worldwide in theology, divinity, and religious studies

The prestige and global reputation of the Theology Department in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences and the Clough School of Theology and Ministry helped Boston College to place 11th worldwide among schools of theology, divinity, and religious studies in the QS 2024 Rankings, released April 10, 2024 in London. 

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New hire: Dr. Jason Donnelly

We are very pleased to announce that, in Fall 2024 Dr. Jason Donnelly will join our faculty as a full-time Associate Professor of the Practice in Christian Theology.

With his long and remarkable experience teaching the year-long course Perspectives on Western Culture, Dr. Donnelly will further contribute to the Perspectives program by teaching two sections of Perspectives on Western Culture each year. 

We look forward to benefit from his competence and his greater involvement in the life of the Department.

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Candlemas Lecture 2024: Dr. James Alison

2024 Annual Candlemas Lecture: Dr. James Alison: “Catholicity, Sacrifice, and Shame: Subverting Polarization in Our Contemporary Ecclesial and Political Cultures”

James Alison is a Catholic theologian, priest, and author who has written on issues of polarization, reconciliation, and LGBTQ people. He has studied, lived and worked in Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Spain, the United States, and his native England. He earned his doctorate in theology from the Jesuit Faculty in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1994 and is a systematic theologian by training.

He is the author of several books, including Knowing Jesus, Raising Abel, The Joy of Being Wrong, Faith Beyond Resentment: Fragments Catholic and Gay, On Being Liked, Undergoing God, Broken Hearts and New Creations: Intimations of a Great Reversal. His most recent book, Jesus the Forgiving Victim: Listening for the Unheard Voice, follows the insight into desire from French thinker René Girard.

He serves as a Fellow and Chair of the Education Committee at IMITATIO, an organization focusing on René Girard’s insights into mimetic desire.

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New hire: Dr. Ligita Ryliškytė, SJE

We are very pleased to announce that, in Fall 2024 Dr. Ligita Ryliškytė, SJE will join our faculty as Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology.

With her multidisciplinary training in medicine and theology, including biblical theology, and with her expertise in the thought of Bernard Lonergan, SJ, she contributes to the dialogue between theology and the sciences.

Her research also focuses on contemporary questions in Christology and soteriology, on theological method, and on the theology of history. We look forward to her theological contributions.

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New hire: Dr. Matthew Vale

We are very pleased to announce that, in Fall 2024, Dr. Matthew Vale will join our faculty as Assistant Professor of Comparative Theology.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, his expertise in Christianity and Buddhism, particularly Indian and Tibetan Buddhism (Yogācāra, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen), as well as in systematic theology, will further enrich our theological offerings.

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New hire: Dr. Megan Loumagne Ulishney

We are very pleased to announce that, in Fall 2024, Dr. Megan Loumagne Ulishney will join our faculty as Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology.

A graduate of the University of Oxford, as a Catholic feminist theologian she conducts interdisciplinary research that draws from Catholic systematic and historical theology, the sciences, and feminist theology and philosophy. Her theological expertise also includes contemplative spirituality and the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx, OP. We look forward to her theological contributions.

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New hire: Paul Ulishney

We are very pleased to announce that, in Fall 2024, Paul Ulishney will join our faculty as Visiting Instructor in History of Christianity.

He is currently completing his doctoral studies at the University of Oxford. His research primarily focuses on the history of eastern Christianities in the eastern Roman and Byzantine empires, the Sasanian empire, and the caliphate from the fourth to the ninth centuries CE. We look forward to his teaching.

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A new Visiting Assistant Professor in Spring 2024: Dr. Joseph Kimmel

We are very pleased to announce that, during Spring 2024, Dr. Joseph Kimmel will be Visiting Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies in our department.

A recent graduate of Harvard University, and priest (curate) at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Lincoln, MA, Dr. Kimmel will teach core theology courses in biblical studies. We look forward to his teaching.

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In Memoriam: Celebrating the life of Dr. Richard Gaillardetz

Beloved spouse, father, and grandfather. Esteemed professor and theologian. Wake and Vigil: Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Funeral Mass: Thuersday, November 16, 2023, St. Ignatius of Loyola, Chestnut Hill, MA

Eternal rest grant unto Rick, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. 

Obituaryhttps://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/sites/bc-news/articles/2023/fall/in-memoriam--bc-theologian-and-author-richard-gaillardetz.html

Funeral livestreamhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJErTgxAkyo

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CTSA president

Professor of Theology Kristin E. Heyer is the current President of the Catholic Theological Society of America. 

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Lisa Sowle Cahill received the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award

At its annual meeting in Chicago (January 5-8, 2023), the Society of Christian Ethics honored Prof. Lisa Sowle Cahill with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.  A scholar of global renown and influence, she is the author of eleven books and hundreds of articles examining the range of ethical concerns including sex and gender, bioethics, war and peacemaking, Catholic Social Teaching, and ethical theory.  She is a former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and of the Society of Christian Ethics.  She has served on the editorial boards of numerous journals of theology and ethics.  She is a beloved teacher and mentor for many in our Society.

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New Directions in Ecclesiology

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Thinking globally, and theologically BC Professor of Theology Carlos Mendoza-Álvarez, O.P.

Thinking globally, and theologically BC Professor of Theology Carlos Mendoza-Álvarez, O.P., brings an international sensibility to examining issues of oppression, violence, and resistance.

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The Roberto S. and Elizabeth T. Goizueta Fellowship

Established by Prof. Emeritus Roberto S. and Elizabeth T. Goizueta in 2020, this fellowship will be awarded annually to a student(s) enrolled in the Boston College graduate theology program and will provide a stipend-enhancement fellowship to the standard package for each of the first five years of their study in the program.

This award is intended to attract top students to the Boston College graduate theology program and enhance the diversity of the student body in the program, providing first preference to underrepresented populations studying theology and second preference to students focusing on Global Catholicism within the doctoral program.  

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Catholic Health Care track for Ph.D. in Theological Ethics

The Theology Department is excited to announce a Catholic Health Care track for its Ph.D. in Theological Ethics! Designed to train students for work in health care settings as ethicists, mission directors, and other related positions, this track affords an opportunity to combine rigorous theological training with expertise in health care practices of Catholic health care settings.

In addition to the usual requirements of the Ph.D. program, students in the Catholic Health Care track will participate in two internships, one in an acute care hospital and the other in a long-term care facility. These internships will together help students better understand the role of ethics in both short- and long-term health care.

For more information, check out the track’s full description.

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Reimagining the Moral Life - A book honoring Lisa Sowle Cahill's 45 years of teaching and research

This volume of original essays honors the work of Lisa Sowle Cahill on the occasion of 45 years of teaching Christian ethics at Boston College. In addition to contributions from almost all of the doctoral students she directed during her career, Reimagining the Moral Life provides an interpretive overview of Dr. Cahill’s specific contributions to Christian ethics and the impact her work has had.

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Catholic Theologian Shawn Copeland to Serve as McDonald Chair at Candler School of Theology

M. Shawn Copeland, professor emerita of systematic theology at Boston College, will be the Alonzo L. McDonald Family Chair on the Life and Teachings of Jesus and Their Impact on Culture. In this role, Copeland will present two public lectures and teach a systematic theology course, “Suffering, Solidarity, and the Cross.” Her first lecture will be held on October 14 via webinar. The second lecture will take place during the spring semester.

Prof. Copeland is both a professor emerita and an alumnus of Boston College's Theology program.

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Prof. Jim Keenan honored with a Catholic Press Association Award

Prof Jim Keenan was honored with a Catholic Press Association second place CPA Book Award for Street Homelessness and Catholic Theological Ethics (Orbis Books). BC alumni Meghan J. Clark and M.T. Dávila also contributed to the book.

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Prof. Natana DeLong-Bas' book: Islam: A Living Faith

As the faith tradition of 1.6 billion people globally, Islam is the second-largest—and fastest-growing—of all the world’s religions. Still, many in the West harbor misconceptions about its people, practices, and beliefs.

Through rich and thorough exploration, Natana DeLong-Bas’s Islam: A Living Faith challenges ignorance with facts and false impressions with stories of lived faith. Weaving personal narratives with major historical and contemporary events and developments, DeLong-Bas skillfully and sensitively conveys the teachings, people, and practices of the Islamic faith. This introduction includes sections on the Five Pillars, the Qur’an, and the legacy of Muhammad, as well as sections on the origin of sectarian identities, the purpose of Shariah and Islamic law, the mystical tradition of Sufism, and Muslim-Christian relations. Stocked with terms, definitions, and recommendations for additional resources, Islam: A Living Faith is perfect for use in the classroom.

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Prof. Natana DeLong-Bas' book: Shariah What Everyone Needs To Know

"This volume offers a much needed discussion of hotly debated issues such as the status of women, gender issues, family life, freedom, human rights, war, jihad, peace, criminal law, and justice in light of sharí'ah ... Though it is purposefully written for the awareness of the general public, it is still recommended for students, political analysts, policy makers, and religious leaders in the West as well as elsewhere in the world." -- Reading Religion, American Academy of Religion

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Prof. Jeremy Wilkins' book: Before Truth: Lonergan, Aquinas, and the Problem of Wisdom

“Jeremy Wilkins provides a detailed and reliable examination of the thought of Aquinas and Lonergan, as well as some historical context, criticism, and evaluation of their contributions. It makes a tremendous contribution to systematic theology, will immediately become a must-read for Aquinas and Lonergan scholars, and will remain an important book for many years to come.” – Mark Miller, author of The Quest for God and the Good Life: Lonergan’s Theological Anthropology (CUA Press)

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Celebrating M. Shawn Copeland: Memory, Freedom, and Solidarity

A 2019 two-day event celebrated the life and work of Dr. M. Shawn Copeland, Professor of Theology and African and African Diaspora Studies at Boston College, who retired at the end of this academic year.

Copeland has made an extraordinary impact on the interdisciplinary fields of Theological Anthropology, Black Catholic Studies, Lonergan Studies, Womanist Theology, Political Theology, Decolonial Theory, and Christian Spirituality, to name only a few. Scholars from around the country are gathered to honor her achievements and to interpret the ongoing significance of her creative, challenging, revolutionary thinking

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Blessed Are The Peace Makers ~ Prof. Lisa Sowle Cahill

In her new book Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Pacifism, Just War, and Peacebuilding (Fortress Press, 2019), Monan Professor of Theology Lisa Sowle Cahill offers a historical understanding of pacifism and just war theory, while advocating a newer approach to conflict situations called peacebuilding.

According to Cahill, peacebuilding seeks to transform conditions of violence and bring about a just and sustainable peace. It is particularly needed in the 21st century as evidence grows that other approaches have failed to achieve sustainable peace.

She writes: “Peacebuilders agree on the preeminent importance of taking non-violent yet forceful measures to deter ongoing violence, undo social injustice, and bring opposed groups together around a negotiated vision of social coexistence and cooperation.”

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The Structure of Theological Revolutions ~ Prof. Mark Massa, SJ

On July 29, 1968, Pope Paul VI ended years of discussion and study by Catholic theologians and bishops by issuing an encyclical on human sexuality and birth control entitled Humanae Vitae. According to Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life Director Mark Massa, S.J., the encyclical led to a paradigm shift in American Catholic thought that has had far-reaching repercussions.

In his book The Structure of Theological Revolutions: How the Fight Over Birth Control Transformed American Catholicism (Oxford University Press, 2018), Fr. Massa argues that American Catholics did not simply ignore and dissent from the encyclical’s teachings on birth control, but that they also began to question the entire system of natural law theology that had undergirded Catholic thought since the days of Aquinas.

He examines the work of theologians, including Monan Professor of Theology Lisa Sowle Cahill, concluding that theology does not develop one step at a time, in a linear fashion, but with large and even sudden shifts of meaning.

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M. Shawn Copeland Honored for a Lifetime of Distinguished Theological Achievement ~ June 2018

M. Shawn Copeland, professor of theology at Boston College, received the John Courtney Murray Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America.

The award is given in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished theological achievement. Named for an influential American Jesuit theologian (and Boston College alumnus), the John Courtney Murray Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Catholic Theological Society of America, the principal association of Catholic theologians in North America and the largest professional society of theologians in the world.

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