Catholic Theological
Society of America

Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap., Jesus Being Jesus, The Catholic University of America Press, Nov. 2025.

Luke was a Gentile and physician. Though not one of Jesus’ initial Jewish disciples, Luke was a traveling companion of Paul. As with the Old Testament and the Gospels, Luke provides the theological and ecclesial significance of the historical events he is narrating. In so doing, he accentuates what the risen and ascended Jesus is doing through the Holy Spirit by means of the nascent church, primarily through Peter and Paul. Although the book is entitled the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit is the primary actor throughout its entirety.

Luke is traditionally believed to be the author of both the third Gospel as well as the Acts of the Apostles. As Luke, in his Gospel, first wrote "an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, concerning the truth of the gospel," so he now writes what has taken place after Jesus’ departure. Thus, the Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of a historical narrative. The Gospel contains what Jesus historically said and did until his Ascension into Heaven. Acts is the historical narrative of what followed upon Jesus’ ascension and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that gave birth of the Church, and the first preaching of the Good News.

If in Luke’s gospel account one finds Jesus becoming Jesus through his saving actions which culminate in his death and resurrection, in the Acts of the Apostles, one finds the risen Jesus being Jesus through the preaching and actions of the apostolic church. Jesus continues to enact his name, YHWH-Saves. Such saving words and actions are particularly within the evangelistic ministry of Peter and Paul.

https://www.cuapress.org/9780813240213/jesus-being-jesus/

In person / Virtual Event - Monday, November 3, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm [CT], the Cody Chair Loyola University Chicago, is hosting a conversation about Pope Leo's new letter on poverty, Dilexi Te. Panelists Dr. Susan Haarman, Associate Director and Service-Learning Program Manager at LUC's Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship; Dr. Hille Haker, Richard A. McCormick, S.J., Chair of Catholic Moral Theology; Dr. Claire Noonan, Vice President for Mission Integration at LUC; and Dr. Michael Okińczyc-Cruz, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership. Registration for zoom at https://lnkd.in/eE9-xyUc

The Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University are pleased to announce registration is now open for the forthcoming international Franciscan Studies conference:

‘Life and Love Transfigured: Exploring New Horizons in the Franciscan Tradition’

Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 April 2026

Durham, UK

The aim of the conference is to bring together people from different walks of life – academic and non-academic, religious and lay – who have a deep love for St. Francis of Assisi, the Franciscan tradition, and the abiding relevance of the Franciscan charism for the modern world.

Confirmed speakers / preacher include:

• Fr Casey Cole, OFM (Digital Evangelist and Creator of Breaking in the Habit podcast)
• Prof Richard Cross (University of Notre Dame, Indiana)
• Fr Dr Michael Cusato, OFM (Scholar-in-Residence, St. Bonaventure Friary, NY)
• Br Richard Hendrick, OFM Cap (Capuchin Franciscan Province of Ireland)
• Prof. Daniel Horan (St Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana)
• Dr William Hyland (University of St Andrews)
• Prof. John McCafferty (University College Dublin)
• Dr Darleen Pryds (Franciscan School of Theology, University of San Diego)

Further details, including the draft schedule and details of how to register can be found at https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/catholic-studies/about-us/events/the-third-international-franciscan-conference---april-2026/

The standard conference package including registration, refreshments, and conference meals is £150.  (A reduced student package is available at £115.)  Delegates are asked to book their own accommodation, as required. Details of some accommodation options are available on the website. 

Registration closes on Sunday 22 March 2026. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Please direct any queries about this conference to the CCS Manager, Theresa Phillips – theresa.phillips@durham.ac.uk

Congratulations to Francis X. Clooney, S.J., CTSA Past President; Parkman Professor at Harvard Divinity School, who was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in the Humanities and Arts class under Religious Studies. He now shares this honor with other Jesuits in the Academy’s history—John LaFarge, S.J., Walter Ong, S.J., Karl Rahner, S.J., John O’Malley, S.J., and George MacRae, S.J.  

"Professor Francis Clooney Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences", Harvard Divinity School, 4/28/25.  (Induction October 2025).

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”