“Oracles, Dissent, and Conversation"

Rev. Michael J. Buckley, SJ, one of the country’s leading Catholic theologians and educators and former director of Boston College’s Jesuit Institute, will return to campus to be honored by his former doctoral students at an Oct. 23-24 symposium.

“Oracles, Dissent, and Conversation: Reflections on Catholic Teaching,” co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the Church in the 21st Century Center, will feature a keynote address by University of Cambridge Professor Nicholas Lash and a response from BC Theology Professor Rev. Michael Himes. The presentation, which is open to the public, will be held in Gasson 100 on Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. The symposium continues the next day with events for invited guests.

The symposium will honor “Father Buckley’s important role as a mentor to the next generation of Catholic theologians,” said event organizer Anna Moreland MA ’99, PhD ’06, an assistant professor in the Department of Humanities and Augustinian Traditions at Villanova University.

“Our efforts as scholars and teachers at Catholic universities across the country have been profoundly shaped by Father Buckley’s work with us as doctoral students at Boston College “We are now giving away what we have most generously received.”

Fr. Buckley, now the Augustin Cardinal Bea Professor of Theology in the Religious Studies Department at Santa Clara University, was BC’s inaugural Canisius Professor, teaching in the Theology Department and serving as Jesuit Institute director. During his time at BC, Fr. Buckley was honored by the Catholic Theological Society of America with the John Courtney Murray Award, its highest award for excellence in theology.

School of Theology and Ministry Assistant Professor Dominic Doyle was one of Fr. Buckley’s doctoral students. “He was a fantastic, brilliant professor who was so dedicated to his students,” recalled Doyle, who will give a talk at the symposium on Oct. 24. “He was a ruthless cross-examiner. He had a saying: ‘Behind every successful PhD student is a director who nags.’”

Other former students who will speak include University of St. Thomas Associate Professor of Theology Cara Anthony PhD ’03 and Creighton University Assistant Professor of Theology Richard Miller MA’03, PhD’05.

There also will be a roundtable discussion on Jesuit higher education featuring Misericordia University Interim College of Arts and Sciences Dean Joe Curran PhD ’05; University of St. Mary Associate Professor of Theology Brian Hughes MA ’94, PhD ’03 and Institute of Jesuit Sources Associate Editor John Montag, SJ MA ’96. BC Theology Professor Frederick Lawrence and Santa Clara University Jesuit Community Professor Paul Crowley, SJ, also will participate in the symposium.

Information on “Oracles, Dissent, and Conversation: Reflections on Catholic Teaching” is available at www.bc.edu/church21.