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Two members of the Boston College faculty have assumed important leadership positions in the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA), the principal association of Catholic theologians in North America and the largest professional society of theologians in the world.
Joseph McCarthy Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard R. Gaillardetz succeeded to the position of president-elect of CTSA at its annual meeting held this summer in St. Louis. He will assume the role of CTSA president in June of next year.
Also at the annual meeting, Founders Professor of Theology James F. Keenan, SJ, was elected to a two-year membership on the board of directors of the CTSA.
An ecclesiologist, Gaillardetz is an expert on ecumenical councils, particularly the Second Vatican Council. He recently co-authored Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II, which presents a less intimidating and more accessible introduction to the vision of the Vatican II. His newest publication is a volume he edited titled When the Magisterium Intervenes: The Magisterium and Theologians in Today's Church, a collection of papers by leading Catholic scholars on the Church's official teaching authority in a postmodern world.
An expert in theological ethics and moral theology, Fr. Keenan has been a member of the Society of Jesus since 1970. He is an advisor to the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, chair of the Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, and a member of the board of directors of the Society of Christian Ethics. At Boston College, Fr. Keenan directs the Presidential Scholars Program, an integrated honors educational experience for select University undergraduates of exceptional academic talent and leadership potential.