Catholic Theological
Society of America

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

At the upcoming convention's CUERG luncheon, Dr. C. Vanessa White  (Assoc. Prof. of Spirituality and Practice at Catholic Theological Union, and Director of the Certificate In Black Theology and Ministry) will be the recipient of the inaugural CUERG Distinguished Scholar-Leader award!

We will highlight her significant contributions to the Church, academy and wider society; and Dr. White will offer an address to the gathering at the 2024 CUERG Luncheon.

The CUERG leadership committee found it fitting to create the award at this time for two reasons:

First, CUERG has now existed for several decades as a consultatory advisory committee to the CTSA Board and as a network of intellectual and professional support for CTSA members from underrepresented or under-recognized ethnic and racial backgrounds. In the early years, the committee strove mainly to create possibilities of presence and thriving for minoritized scholars in the Catholic theological community. While this remains a key priority, CUERG is no longer new nor simply trying to find a place at the discursive table. Over time and through the concerted efforts of past leaders, CUERG has developed into both an institution within the convention (for instance, the annual CUERG Luncheon) and a professional community with a deepening sense of its particular history, struggles, and contributions to the Society as a whole. As CUERG continues to mature, it is valuable for CUERG to take stock and recognize all that has and is still unfolding in the Society’s efforts to theologize en conjunto (together), in a truly inclusive way.

Second, the CUERG committee desired to joyfully highlight the contributions of under-recognized teacher-scholars, noting their work as a gift to the wider academy and Church. Theologians working at the ethnic and racial margins of theological discourse have often tackled sobering and lamentable topics (for instance, the horrors of slavery, colonial campaigns, forced migration, systemic racism, etc.) and wrestled with the legacies of such structural inequities in the history of our own Church and academic discipline. Nonetheless, these and other myriad scholarly reflections should not be perceived as an encumbrance on the theological enterprise, but rather an aide and gift to Catholic theological thinking. Insofar as Church and academy can holistically address the realities that facing racially and ethnically minoritized Catholics, we are able to theologize better. This unfolding honesty and proficiency is a gift to treasure and celebrate!

David Hollenbach has published a new book: Human Rights in a Divided World: Catholicism as a Living Tradition.  It offers a comprehensive analysis of the challenges to human rights, suggesting that today’s global realities call for important developments rooted in Catholic ethics. This work of theological social ethics draws on a range of disciplines to address the question of whether human rights remain valid as universal standards for action in a multicultural, religiously pluralistic, and economically unequal world. It applies the proposed understanding of human rights to debated issues of today, including religious freedom, the rights of refugees, economic rights in the face of significant inequality, and the rights of women. Human Rights in a Divided World offers a clear path forward for the church and for all who are working to advance human rights.

Available through Amazon.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati is pleased to announce the upcoming "Seeking for a City" Symposium on Fr. Clarence Rivers and “What We Have Seen and Heard" November 22-24 at the University of Dayton's Curran place. 

In-person presenters are sought for the Symposium at University of Dayton who will:

• Thoughtfully synthesize our two guiding themes of the event—the impact of “What We Have Seen and Heard” and the life and legacy of Fr. Rivers—from their areas of expertise such as theology, liturgy, music, history, art, literature, catechetics, etc.; 
• Engage Symposium participants in active learning and reflection on these themes (workshops or presentations are sought, rather than papers); 
• Craft and deliver an in-person presentation offering innovative perspectives and scholarship on these themes, demonstrating their continued relevance; 
• Be a present and active participant in all Symposium events (Friday-Sunday morning) as possible. (Funds will be provided for travel; see below.)

Please submit a 300-500 word proposal for an interactive Workshop or Breakout session of approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes in length, along with a 100-word biographical statement, via email to Emily Strand emilykcstrand@gmail.com and Dr. Cecilia Moore cmoore1@udayton.edu.

Resources: Access to Fr. Rivers’ written works can be made available upon request.

Funding: Those selected for Workshops or Breakout presentations will receive funds for travel, paid accommodations, airport transportation and travel to the Mass in Cincinnati, as well as a modest honorarium.

Key dates: 

Deadline for submissions: Monday, July 1, 2024

Notification of selected presenters: by Monday, July 29, 2024

For more information visit: https://catholicaoc.org/offices/african-american-pastoral-ministries

Several representatives from INSeCT met with Pope Francis in early May. The following letter from Francis dated May 10 expounds his support for and encouragement of theology in our global society. His recognition of the important work of theologians is strong but that more work still needs to be done. He restated three points that theologians need to consider: a creative fidelity to tradition, a cross-disciplinary approach and collegiality.  You can read more of his letter here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2024/may/documents/20240510-insect.html

The attention given to INSeCT by Pope Francis is a start of a fresh relationship between INSeCT and the Holy See. There will be another meeting with the Education Dicastery in December 2024. This will build on the current energy of INSeCT to engage and to strengthen its relationship with the Holy See.