Catholic Theological
Society of America

In July 2024 Thomas Hughson SJ published Neanderthal Religion? Theology in Dialogue with Archaeology, with Foreword by Neil Ormerod, available on Amazon and from Wipf and Stock.  The back cover states, "Neanderthals are the most-researched extinct members of genus Homo. They have been gone for somewhere between 28 and 40,000 years, far beyond the reach of cultural memories. An expanding number of archaeologists follow physical evidence to conclude that Neanderthals are, and genetics confirms, co-human with us whose lineage emerged in Africa about 300,000 years ago. Are they are the same as us? No. " Ormerod comments that this "thought-provoking book on what it means to be human," appeals to archaeological evidence. The book discusses religion as spirituality realized in common and early revelation as animist experience of being-alive. The last chapter addresses "Neanderthals and Theological Tradition."

Gentle colleagues:

     Orbis Books and I want to revise my book, Faith: What It Is and What It Isn't (2010). It continues to be used in introductory courses in theology and religious studies. 

     In order to take advantage of your insights as I work this fall and winter on the revision, if you have used -- or are using the book in classes this fall -- could you email me at ttilley@fordham.edu and answer the following questions:

   1. What items in the book need clarification or revision as they are hard for my students to grasp?

   2. What items in any of the chapters seem superfluous or unclear?

   3. Do you have any other comments or suggestions?

     I will take each comment seriously and will thank you for your input in the acknowledgments unless you want me not to do so. 

     Thank you for your consideration.

Terry

Terrence W. Tilley, Professor Emeritus of Theology, Fordham University

Center for Research on Global Catholicism Conference
Saint Louis University
September 20 - 21, 2024

The Catholic Enlightenment in Europe, the Americas and Australia (1700– 1840): Balancing Loyalties between State, Nationality, Citizenship, and the Global Church

The Enlightenment, it has now been established, was as much a religious phenomenon as it was a secular one. This conference brings together leading scholars from around the world to interrogate the ways in which Catholics, in particular, interpreted and extended Enlightenment ideas to rethink and reform society, politics, the economy, education, science, and the arts on a global scale.

Plenary Speaker: 

David Sorkin, Yale University
Discovering the Catholic Enlightenment: a Personal Account

Co-sponsored by University of Münster, and Washington University, Saint Louis

Contact: crgc@slu.edu for further information

Susan Bigelow Reynolds' new essay on "Sustaining Vocations" in Commonweal outlines the significance of academic guilds today and the ways the CTSA and other conferences nourish theologians "between the times." She summons our acts of solidarity to enable one another to continue to participate as budgets shrink.

ENVISION the CTSA at 100

• Members: Please Share Your “Vision Statement” Responses and Ideas!

  As part of its charge to assist in imagining and enacting a shared vision and strategic directions for the Society’s next 25 years, the CTSA Centennial Committee has provided three sample Vision Statements,* modeling different emphases:

• 1.     The CTSA: Advancing theological scholarship and reflection in service of a changing Church, academy, and wider world. 
• 2.     The CTSA: Serving God's people by promoting theological wisdom, learning, and excellence. 
• 3.     The CTSA: Promoting theological wisdom, learning, and excellence in a spirit of service.

We invite and urge members to PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

Tell us which you like/prefer, or don’t like, and why. Feel free to suggest additional words, different wordings, or even an entirely different vision statement. Your input will be so helpful as the CC seeks to bring to the Board a widely supported vision statement in the coming months. To participate, you can either:

•  Submit your comments via the QR code on this sheet -->
• or email comments to: Kristin Heyer, ‘24-’25 CTSA Past President
   and Centennial Committee Chair, at heyerkr@bc.edu by August 31st. Comments will be compiled and shared with the Committee and the Board.

*What is a vision statement? This may help:

“A mission statement deals with “why” an organization exists, while a vision statement succinctly expresses “what” that existence will eventually look like. Primarily intended for members and stakeholders, a vision statement describes what an organization aspires to be in the longer-term . . . Part roadmap, part inspiration, … a vision statement helps give the organization shape and purpose.” 

[from "22 Vision Statement Examples To Help You Write Your Own," BREX (https://www.brex.com/journal/vision-statement-examples)]

 Thank you for offering your thoughts and feedback!

 

DavidDeCosse's piece "'We are not saved alone': Catholic theologians engage the social dimensions of salvation" ( @NCRonline 6/26/24), which highlights the CTSA's 2024 convention "Social Salvation" (June 13 - 16) is available online at https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/we-are-not-saved-alone-catholic-theologians-engage-social-dimensions-salvation.

The CUERG Distinguished Scholar-Leader Award honors a member of the CTSA whose work as a scholar-leader has contributed to or supported the theologizing of underrepresented and underrecognized communities in the academy, Church, and/or wider society.

This year's honoree, Dr. C. Vanessa White has been instrumental in calling for and modelling a more truly inclusive Church and academy in numerous settings.

During the academic school year, Dr. White serves as an Associate Professor in at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, teaching in the area of Spirituality and Ministry and serving as Director of the Certificate in Black Theology and Ministry. As her nominator wrote, "Vanessa has dedicated her life to leading important conversations in the fields of spirituality and pastoral theology, lifting up theological subfields that do not always receive the affirmation they should in contexts like the CTSA and other similar academic guilds." During her Summers, she serves as the Associate Director for Degree Programs for the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana – a program that has run for more than 40 years carrying forward its mission to form disciples for more effective ministry in the Black Catholic community, the Church and the community at large. During the institute and year-round, her work with college professors, Catholic clergy, and Black Catholic parishioners actively advances the CTSA’s mission of developing a mature understanding of faith among Christian communities.

In addition to this teaching and administrative service, Dr. White has been a leading voice in challenging both Church and academy to a fuller witness to God. A colleague writes of her role in conversations with the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops, she "speaks with prophetic voice and ecclesial love, embodying the type of theologian that Pope Francis has encouraged during his pontificate: close to the people of God, attentive to those who live in the peripheries, and writing scholarship for the entire church, not just the learned minds." In addition, Dr. Vanessa White has been a formative guiding presence in the CTSA and CUERG itself, serving in key leadership roles Society and mentoring members who self-identify with underrepresented communities. She can be seen year after year accompanying junior scholars in different settings: sessions, plenaries, conversations, mentorship initiatives, and so on.

Leading in all these ways through her teaching and scholarship, formal administration and personal example, Dr. White has been a strong advocate for underrepresented communities and their theological reflection. Dr. White is constantly working as a theological educator with phenomenal commitment, and she deserves our esteem and gratitude.

John Dadosky recently published his book, "The Wisdom of Order: An Exploration of Lonergan's Method in Theology."

Taken from the University of Toronto Press: 

"In 1972, renowned Canadian philosopher and theologian Bernard Lonergan published Method in Theology. Now, following the fiftieth anniversary of his landmark work, The Wisdom of Order presents the next step in advancing the thought of this significant religious theorist. 

In addition to the previously compiled Collected Works of Bernard Lonergan, this book aims to provide an appreciation and exploration of Method in Theology. It analyses the first five chapters of the work with commentaries to help readers traverse Lonergan's thought more effectively and deeply. John D. Dadosky presents compelling exposition and observations to assist readers."

Book can be ordered through various bookstores, including University of Toronto Press and Amazon.

Last year the CTSA Board recommended that, following the publication of this year's volume of the CTSA Proceedings, I begin to share with the CTSA membership some of the Proceedings readership data that I share with the Board in my semi-annual editor's reports. Please find readership data for for the first five months of 2024 below. As a reminder, every volume of the CTSA Proceedings is available online at https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/ctsa/issue/archive.

Readership Data For January 2024

• Total Article/Report Downloads: 9,425
• Top Three Most Downloaded Articles/Reports
• • Michael J. Cantley, "The Biblical Doctrine of Original Sin" (Volume 22 [1967]) - 202 downloads
    
  • Ellen Leonard, "Experience as a Source for Theology" (Volume 43 [1989]) - 168 downloads
  • Edward F. Hanahoe, "The Ecumenical Movement" (Volume 9 [1954]) - 162 downloads

Readership Data for February 2024

• Total Article/Report Downloads: 11,365
• Top Three Most Downloaded Articles/Reports:
• • Michael J. Cantley, "The Biblical Doctrine of Original Sin" (Volume 22 [1967]) - 287 downloads
  • William J. Hill, "Christ The Sacrament of an Encounter with God" (Volume 19 [1964]) - 200 downloads
  • Ellen Leonard, "Experience as a Source for Theology" (Volume 43 [1989]) - 198 downloads

Readership Data for March 2024

• Total Article/Report Downloads: 13,911
• Top Three Most Downloaded Articles/Reports:
• • Edwin G. Kaiser, "The Theology of the Resurrection of Christ" (Volume 14 [1959]) - 615 downloads
  • Ellen Leonard, "Experience as a Source for Theology" (Volume 43 [1989]) - 345 downloads
  • Michael J. Cantley, "The Biblical Doctrine of Original Sin" (Volume 22 [1967]) - 235 downloads

Readership Data for April 2024

• Total Article/Report Downloads: 15,968
• Top Three Most Downloaded Articles/Reports:
• • James Helft, "The Historical Origins of Papal Infallibility" (Volume 35 [1980]) - 358 downloads
  • Edwin G. Kaiser, "The Theology of the Resurrection of Christ" (Volume 14 [1959]) - 336 downloads
  • Michael J. Cantley, "The Biblical Doctrine of Original Sin" (Volume 22 [1967]) - 234 downloads

Readership Data for May 2024

• Total Article/Report Downloads: 11,793
• Top Three Most Downloaded Articles/Reports:
• • James Helft, "The Historical Origins of Papal Infallibility" (Volume 35 [1980]) - 258 downloads
  • William J. Hill, "Christ The Sacrament of an Encounter with God" (Volume 19 [1964]) - 174 downloads
  • Albert C. Labriola and George S. Worgul, Jr., "The Holy Spirit in Art: The Theological Bearing of Visual Representation" (Volume 51 [1996]) - 129 downloads

Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations is the journal of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations and is published by the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College. The Journal publishes peer-reviewed scholarship on the history, theology, and contemporary realities of Jewish-Christian relations and reviews new materials in the field. The Journal also provides a vehicle for exchange of information, cooperation, and mutual enrichment in the field of Christian-Jewish studies and relations. SCJR is included in the following indexes:  ATLA’s Full-Text Journal Index and Religion Database; the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); EBSCO's Academic Search Complete (ASC), Historical Abstracts, America: History and Life, and Humanities International Index; Index to Jewish Periodicals; ProQuest Religion Database; RAMBI (Index of Articles on Jewish Studies); and RelBib (Bibliography of the Study of Religion).

The Journal may be accessed freely on the internet. Please visit the Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations website at www.bc.edu/scjr.

CALL FOR PAPERS

The editorial board of Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations invites submissions for its current and future volumes. Interested authors are encouraged to contact the editors in advance. All papers will be subject to peer-review before acceptance for publication.

Co-Editors:

Ruth Langer, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
Professor of Jewish Studies
Associate Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Learning
ruth.langer@bc.edu                                                  

Kevin P. Spicer, CSC, Stonehill College, Easton, MA
Professor of History
kspicer@stonehill.edu

Managing Editor:
Camille Fitzpatrick Markey, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
Associate Director, Center for Christian-Jewish Learning
scjr@bc.edu

Review Editor:
Adam Gregerman, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA
Professor of Theology and Religious Studies
Associate Director, Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations
agregerm@sju.edu