Catholic Theological
Society of America

Congratulations to Mary Kate Holman on the Publication of Marie-Dominique Chenu: Catholic Theology for a Changing World (Notre Dame Press, 2025).  

Marie-Dominique Chenu demonstrates how this once condemned theologian influenced the major shifts of twentieth-century Catholicism and reveals the relevance of his thought for contemporary theology.

In 1942, historian Marie-Dominique Chenu was removed from his teaching position at Le Saulchoir, the French Dominican school of theology, and his groundbreaking new publication was placed on the Catholic Church’s Index of Forbidden Books. Yet only two decades later, the Catholic hierarchy embraced many of his ideas at the Second Vatican Council. Although Chenu’s pioneering work helped to usher in a new era, his influence on the Catholic Church remains overlooked and underexplored.

Drawing upon extensive new archival research, Mary Kate Holman provides a captivating account of Chenu’s life and how his theology contributed to the church’s opening to the modern world and shaped the next generation of theologians. Holman presents the distinctive elements of Chenu’s theology, identifies his major contributions to contemporary Catholic theology, and proposes a constructive retrieval of his thought for a renewed ecclesiology in the twenty-first century.

On Tuesday October 7th at 4pm (CST), Catholic Theological Union presents the 27th Annual Louis J. Luzbetak Lecture on Mission and Culture. 

Kevin Considine, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of the Schreiter Institute for Precious Blood Spirituality, will present:

Orthopathema: A New Lens for Mission as Ministry of Reconciliation in the Decade to Come

The Lecture is Free and Open to the Public.  Please register on the event webpage to receive the Zoom Link

One Body and Many Voices: The Future of The Church, Democracy, and The Legacy of Edward Schillebeeckx’s Theology in An Age of Crisis

10–11 June 2026

La Salle Retreat Center
2101 Rue De La Salle Dr
Wildwood, MO 63038

The last decade has seen an immense change in the theological and political landscape of the entire world. The climate crisis continues unabated; economic inequality has grown as new technologies have in many cases enabled instability rather than prosperity and development; the abuse crisis continues to plague the church and the early optimism of Pope’s Francis’s first years has faded. Although Francis enacted reforms of the curia and opened processes of synodal dialogue, that work was left unfinished with his death on Easter Monday, 2025. The church now has its second Pope from the Americas and first ‘American’ pontiff in Leo XIV. At the same time, war in Europe and the Middle East remains a constant source of anxiety combined with the increasing shift in global politics away from the liberal status quo and towards more radical forms of right-wing authoritarianism.

In this challenging situation, the experiences of negativity and suffering are evident, in part due to the reality that we face, and in part due to the perception of the world that is shaped by media, politics, and technology. However, within every experience of negativity, the potential for contrast and ultimately the experience of God is also present—an experience of grace which orients us towards action and change. The work of Edward Schillebeeckx continues to be instructive here, particularly in his many theological reflections on epistemology, ecclesiology, and the openness of the church to the challenge of the God, the Living One.

Schillebeeckx more specifically speaks of God’s presence in history, precisely as a history that includes sin, suffering, and abuses of power: “It can be both in the everyday events of our history and in its dramatic events, including the crucifixion, though it is never fused with this history nor does it coincide with it.” (Church, 220) In our context, the presence of God has to be sought, named, called out, and identified in order to reveal the liberating potential of the gospel at work in the church and in the world.

This symposium will reflect on the challenges and opportunities of the present moment as well as the continuing importance of Schillebeeckx’s theology for the contemporary context and for the future. The symposium invites participants to work from Schillebeeckx’s foundational insights as a starting point for their own reflection and as threads to be weaved into a future-oriented theology that can meet the challenges of the day. We therefore invite papers focusing on, but not limited to, the following topics:

• One and Many – Ecclesial Democracy and a Synodal Church
• Theopolitics, Authoritarianism, Threats to Democracy, and Eschatological Ideology Critique
• Global Church and Local Faith – The Challenges of Ministry in Differing Ecclesial Contexts
• Foundational Methodology and the Question of Theological Truth in a Post-Truth World
• Grace, Conflict, Contrast – The Faithful and the Prophetic Voice of the Church

Please submit abstracts of no more than 250 words by email to Dr. Elizabeth Pyne (epyne@mercyhurst.edu) by 1 November 2025.

The day-and-a-half-long Symposium will take place at the La Salle Retreat Center, located about thirty minutes from downtown St. Louis. Further information regarding food, lodging, and costs will be forthcoming.

"In Memory of Fr. Roger Haight, S.J."
April 30, 1936 - June 19, 2025
Union Theological Seminary

Union Theological Seminary invites friends, colleagues, and the wider community to gather in remembrance of Roger Haight, S.J., on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. Fr. Haight, who entered eternal life on June 19, served on Union’s faculty for twenty-one years. He was cherished not only as a pioneering and courageous theologian, but also as a generous mentor, a wise teacher, and a person of profound spirituality and compassion. His scholarship shaped theological discourse across the globe, while his kindness left an indelible mark on generations of students and colleagues.

The memorial service will be held at 6:00 p.m. (EDT) in James Chapel, with livestream access provided for those unable to join in person. A reception will follow the service. Guests may enter through the Claremont Avenue entrance or the main entrance at 3140 Broadway. Parking is available at the iPark Garage (645 W. 120th St., under Riverside Church), located a short walk from James Chapel.

A livestream for the event will be available at: https://utsnyc.edu/blog/event/roger-haight-memorial/

To RSVP for the event visit "Roger Haight Memorial RSVP Page"

Date & Time:

Tuesday, October 7, 2025
6:00 PM EST
James Chapel, Union Theological Seminary
90 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY 10027

Dominican Theology and Practice: The Past 100 years
Friday, February 27 - Saturday, February 28, 2026
Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT

Call for Papers

Tobias Winright, Peter Fay and Meg Kaveny, "The Least of These", Mental Illness & the Church: A Symposium on Serving the Least of These (Commonweal Magazine 9/24/25).

https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/mental-illness-church

The article grew out of the CTSA's 2025 Convention session "The Least of These: People Suffering from Mental Illness, Law Enforcement, and Innovative Responses Selected Session" (Convener: M. Cathleen Kaveny):

The Least of These: People Suffering from Mental Illness, Law Enforcement, and Innovative Responses Selected Session

Convener:  Cathleen Kaveny, Boston College
Moderator: Shaun Slusarski, Boston College 

Presenter: Peter Fay, Villanova University
“Catholic Social Teaching and the Mentally Ill” 

Presenter:  Tobias Winright, St. Patrick's Pontifical University
“Just Policing and the Mentally Ill”

Presenter: Meg Kaveny, Behavioral Response Team, Portland Police Bureau
“An Innovative Partnership: Social Workers and Police Officers” 

Congratulations to CTSA member Kevin P. Considine  on the publication of his second book Analogy of the Wound: A Theology of Communication for Healing and Social Transformation (Bloomsbury/T&T Clark, Sept. 16, 2025). 

This book explores communication as a way of salvation for the sinned-against, sinners, and all of creation through an analogy of the wound. Rooted in Jesus' praxis of healing, this theology can assist in recognizing, understanding, and interpreting the harmful residue that remains in the aftermath of violence to repair human dignity and work for the common good. The author weaves together insights from methods of contextual theologies, the wisdom of Black and Womanist Theologies, Korean diaspora theologies of 'han', psychologies of trauma and moral injury, and the Catholic tradition of analogy to arrive at a unique synthesis: moments of salvation can be found in carefully communicating woundedness in the midst of building beloved community. Although the dissimilarities in our woundedness may always be greater than our similarities, the similarities convey truth and meaning and hold the possibility of the church living as Christ's wounded and resilient Body. We aid each other's healing in right relationship.

Congratulations to CTSA member Judith A. Merkle on the publication of her book The Vows of Religious Life in a Secular Society (Bloomsbury, Sept. 18, 2025). 

This book investigates religious vows, shedding light on the type of faith that can sustain humanity in secular times. It examines the personal impact of religious life as well as its potential to foster a sense of completeness within society at large.

Unbelief in today's society can be partially rooted in the shallowness of the sort of religion that the secular can abandon. Such a religion, characterized as magical, shallow, illusory, or rooted solely in external rituals, lacks the depth required to thrive in a secular society. It fails to address the profound aspects of human existence, the authentic freedom of the spirit, and the enduring obedience of faith.

This study of religious vows uncovers their deeper meanings in light of these challenges. It invites us to consider whether religious life, despite contemporary criticisms, can be seen as "touching wholeness". This book does not only delve into the theological foundations of these vows but also key areas which impact their understanding and living in new contexts. It surveys sociological landscapes and goes beyond to encompass shifts in science, psychology, theology. Religious life in this sense is part of the renewal of the church, as well as an agent in it.

By focusing briefly on each vow, Judtih A. Merkle illustrates how religious life serves as a bridge connecting the secular and the sacred. It is a life focused on love of God and service of others which is a witness to the coming of Kingdom of God, and values which truly matter in contemporary society.

The Funeral Mass of Rev. James Alan Coriden was held on September 6, 2025 at St. Raphael Catholic Church, Rockville, MD. The eulogy was given by Jim's dear friend, Johann Klodzen and  Rev. Charles Curran presided and gave the homily. The service was lived streamed on You Tube. You can access it here:

https://www,youtube.com/watch?v=u0808AK0xCY

It was my proud honor to present our Society's John Courtney Murray Award to Jim in 2011 when I was president.  In addition to Jim's valued scholarly and pastoral contribution as a canonist to us and to the Church, he served as a humorous inquisitor for the Treasurers' reports at our annual CTSA Business meetings. May he rest in peace and rise in glory!

On Thursday, November 20 from 2 pm to 3:30 pm, a memorial service will be held for Francis Schüssler Fiorenza, in the Williams Chapel, Swartz (Andover) Hall, HDS, Cambridge MA. A reception will follow in the Braun Room from 3:30 pm to 5 pm. All are welcome. More information forthcoming, about possible live-streaming of the service, etc.