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Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology Richard R. Gaillardetz assumed the presidency of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) at its recent annual meeting.
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.
Gaillardetz has received several major honors for his writing [http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/pubaf/news/2013-may-jun/gaillardetz-books.html]. Earlier this year, When the Magisterium Intervenes won a 2013 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers, which also selected Keys to the Council for a third-place award in the general interest category. He also has been recognized by the Catholic Press Association and the Washington Theological Union, which presented him with the Sophia Award for theological excellence.
With a membership of more than 1300, the CTSA is the principal association of Catholic theologians in North America and the largest professional society of theologians in the world. Active members of the society hold a doctorate in theology or a related discipline.