This past weekend, I attended the annual convention of the College Theology Society in Dayton, Ohio. It was a great experience—I think it was my first in-person conference since early 2023, and it was good to see old friends and meet some new ones. The University of Dayton, where the convention was held, was also my graduate alma mater, so I got a chance to see my old stomping grounds. And finally, I was invited to give a shared plenary address on “Making Theology More Synodal in the Midst of Crisis,” a reflection on my own experience of living out the theological vocation outside of academia and how I see the theological profession potentially evolving in the coming years. It was a great honor to be asked to give that talk, especially at my alma mater.
I had to leave the conference halfway through, however, to return home and attend my goddaughter’s quinceañera. The party went well into the wee hours of the morning. So, given the conference and the quinceañera, and having to return to work on Monday, I haven’t yet recovered from the weekend. So, I’ll return to regularly scheduled articles later this week. My goal is to publish an article on the CTS convention, including some notes on my own talk, for paid subscribers, and essay on the Catholic Church and politics in Peru and the impact of that relationship on Pope Leo XIV for all subscribers. Thanks for your patience, and thank you for subscribing!
Of Interest…
While you are waiting, I recommend you check out my friend
’s newsletter , which he launched last fall. This project grew out of two volumes Bill edited last year on Social Catholicism for the Twenty-First Century? The volumes are an attempt to recover the spirit of late-19th and early-20th century Social Catholicism (a kind of ressourcement, if you will) for our present day. The first volume includes historical portraits of key figures like Bishop Wilhelm von Ketteler, who pioneered Catholic outreach to industrial workers, and Maurice Blondel, the early 20th-century philosopher who inspired socially conscious Catholics in France. The first volume also includes several essays outlining the crisis of Social Catholicism today. The second volume includes sketches of what Social Catholicism might look like in the 21st century, with essays focusing on the economy, race, and migration, among other issues. The second volume includes an essay by me on “A New Vision for the Economy: Social Catholicism in the Twenty-First Century,” which I briefly described here before it was published. At Social Catholicism and a Better Kind of Politics, Murphy has continued to highlight the heroes of Social Catholicism while commenting on current events. Here are some highlights from the newsletter. Shortly after Pope Francis’s death, Murphy offered a summary of Francis’s social and political thought:
Here is a historical profile of one of my favorite early Social Catholics, Fr. Luigi Sturzo, the founder of the Italian Popular Party:
Murphy has been an especially fierce critic of contemporary postliberalism, as demonstrated in this article:
Bill has an insane work ethic and a compelling vision, so please check out his newsletter and subscribe!
