Hindu Poetry And The Project Of An Inter-Spiritual Catholic Theology,
2026
Harvard University
Hindu Poetry And The Project Of An Inter-Spiritual Catholic Theology, Francis X. Clooney
Journal of Global Catholicism
This article engages the work of the Indian south Indian Tamil-language Vaiṣṇava poet saints known as the Alvārs. The article specifically focuses the First HundredHoly Linked verses of Poykai Ālvār to argue for inter-spiritual learning between Catholics and Hindus. The article concludes with personal reflections on this encounter within the context of the global Catholic Church
Overview And Acknowledgments,
2026
College of the Holy Cross
Overview And Acknowledgments, Mathew Schmalz
Journal of Global Catholicism
An overview and introduction to the present issue on Inter-Spiritual Dialogue.
"They Will Put You Out Of The Synagogues”: An Exegesis Of John 16:1-4a And Its Application To The Persecuted Christians In Northern Nigeria,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
"They Will Put You Out Of The Synagogues”: An Exegesis Of John 16:1-4a And Its Application To The Persecuted Christians In Northern Nigeria, Chiemeka Iwuagwu
Obsculta
This paper offers an exegesis of John 16:1-4a, a pivotal passage in Jesus' Farewell Discourse that warns the disciples of impending persecution, including expulsion from synagogues. Situating the text within the historical and literary context of the Johannine community, it explores how this forewarning reframes suffering as an integral aspect of faithful witness rather than divine abandonment. Drawing on key scholarly works, the analysis engages literary structure, historical reconstruction of community experiences, and theological motifs such as dualism and Christology. The paper then applies these insights to the plight of Christians in northern Nigeria, a region marked by violent persecution, …
Developing Robust Human Formation For Ministerial Training,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Developing Robust Human Formation For Ministerial Training, Mary L. Parks
Obsculta
The Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis recognizes that effective ministerial formation is holistic, attending to all aspects of a minister’s being. The document therefore outlines four pillars of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. In Co-Workers In the Vineyard of the Lord, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) extends the same four pillars of formation to the development of lay ecclesial ministers. The USCCB also applies these pillars to diaconal formation in The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States of America.
The Incomprehensible God Who Wants To Reveal: Exodus 40 And Sirach 24,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
The Incomprehensible God Who Wants To Reveal: Exodus 40 And Sirach 24, Gilbert Perez
Obsculta
God's transcendence above everything is present in many theological traditions, who recognize and answer in a diverse number of ways the question of how to approach the incomprehensible. Using the Historical Critical Method of exegesis with examples from the works of the recently deceased Walter Brueggemann, two completely different contexts in the Old Testament: Exodus 40 and Sirach 24, are presented to show how scripture itself often responded to the question of how God is made comprehensible.
I Cry At Night Before You: Theologies Of Depression In The Psalms,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University
I Cry At Night Before You: Theologies Of Depression In The Psalms, Travis Spillum Osb
Obsculta
This work looks to the Psalms to discover theologies that resonate with experiences of depression. If one struggling with depression feels as if God is angry with them, that their condition is oppressing them, that loved ones have abandoned them, or that God's love for them is wavering, they can utilize the psalmist's words to voice their feelings and express their anguish in prayer to a God who is seemingly deaf to their groaning.
Fulfilled In Your Hearing: What Has Been Fulfilled; What Remains To Be Heard,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Fulfilled In Your Hearing: What Has Been Fulfilled; What Remains To Be Heard, William Skudlarek Osb
Obsculta
This article reflects on the enduring legacy and contemporary relevance of Fulfilled in Your Hearing, the 1982 U.S. bishops’ official statement on the Sunday homily. Written by the document’s principal drafter, the piece explores the text’s revolutionary methodological shift: moving the starting point of preaching away from the preacher or the isolated text and toward the assembly gathered for Eucharist. The author argues that the homily is not an exegetical lecture or a discourse on morality but a sacramental interpretation of human existence through the lens of Scripture that calls the assembled worshippers to conversion, thanksgiving, and service. Central to …
Paul: A Man Called To Reform Status: The Radical Practice Of “One In Christ”,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Paul: A Man Called To Reform Status: The Radical Practice Of “One In Christ”, Garrett S. "Faustino" Miller
Obsculta
This paper explores Saint Paul's ministerial pedagogy as he challenged Roman social hierarchies by calling believers to a radical unity as "one in Christ." By examining what this radical practice means, and what it is rooted in, this paper also urges readers toward the same radical and transformative vision of Christian oneness; a vision that seeks to build bridges rather than walls in the world today.
Theology As A Form Of Prayer,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Theology As A Form Of Prayer, Melissa Tovar-Guerrero
Obsculta
This piece reflects on the essential tasks of theology to foster practical expressions of prayer, to establish a fruitful and transformative dialogue with the Trinity through Christian meditation.
Human Freedom And God’S Image In Undocumented People,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Human Freedom And God’S Image In Undocumented People, An Nguyen
Obsculta
This article explores the relationship of human freedom in the theological perspective and undocumented immigrants in the United States: how immigrants embody the divine image, Imago Dei, despite legal and social constraints. I will begin with the theological foundation—freedom as a distinguishing characteristic of God’s image in humanity—and analyze the complex nature of freedom as both a divine gift and a human responsibility. Additionally, I will demonstrate that the Church has a special responsibility to recognize and affirm the inherent dignity of undocumented people by drawing from Catholic social teaching, migration studies, and theological anthropology, ultimately calling for pastoral practices …
Called From Within The Community: The Vocation Of Undocumented Hispanic Men To The Diaconate,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Called From Within The Community: The Vocation Of Undocumented Hispanic Men To The Diaconate, Anisabel Palma
Obsculta
This paper examines the discernment of undocumented Hispanic men to the diaconate within a diocese facing growing Hispanic populations and a shortage of Spanish-speaking clergy. Using ethnographic research, theological reflection, and historical analysis, it argues that this reality should be discerned not as a pastoral problem but as a response to concrete community needs. Interpreted through four theological perspectives (sacred vocation, divine initiative, unconventional divine choice, and the community-oriented nature of diaconal ministry) the study proposes that welcoming undocumented men into formal discernment and formation for the diaconate constitutes a faithful and ecclesial response to the Church’s mission.
Second Edition Of The Liturgy Of The Hours: Impact On The American Diaconate,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Second Edition Of The Liturgy Of The Hours: Impact On The American Diaconate, Michael Walsh
Obsculta
This piece explores the upcoming Second Edition of the English Liturgy of the Hours coming to the United States. This piece touches on the psalter, hymnal, and other portions of the new edition as well as the publishing companies chosen by the USCCB to promulgate it. This piece highlights the impact this new edition can have on all of the faithful but particularly the American Diaconate.
Wedding Appropriate?: A Reflection On 1 Corinthians 13:1-8,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Wedding Appropriate?: A Reflection On 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, Barbara Kowalkowski Osb
Obsculta
This piece looks at whether the passage of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a (the wedding verses) is overused or misused as one of the most popular readings during wedding ceremonies by considering the context of the passage. It delves into whether its use leads to misunderstanding among those gathered for their wedding on what its true meaning is.
Schillebeeckx And Homilies: Why Should Sermons Be More Than Words?,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Schillebeeckx And Homilies: Why Should Sermons Be More Than Words?, Paulinus Daeli
Obsculta
This article highlights the importance of good preaching by exploring the relationship between theology, rhetoric, and spirituality through the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. It argues that preaching must go beyond words to create a deep experience for the congregation. By exploring Schillebeeckx's theological foundations, the article also discusses the conflict between the liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist in Holy Mass, and suggests a comprehensive approach to preaching. The article emphasizes that both aspects of the Mass must work in harmony to provide spiritual nourishment. Finally, it concludes by emphasizing the importance of preaching as a communal act, which …
Dance Partners,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Dance Partners, Francis Agnoli
Obsculta
Using dance as an organizing image, the preacher explores the relationship between works and grace in a homily preached at midday prayer at the School of Theology on September 25, 2025. The text proclaimed at prayer was Ephesians 2:4-10. Music sung at prayer included "El Señor es compasivo y misericordioso" (Psalm 103, Peter Kolar) and "Amazing Grace."
Caring For Our Neighbors: Public Prayer As A Pastoral Tool For Multicultural Communities,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Caring For Our Neighbors: Public Prayer As A Pastoral Tool For Multicultural Communities, Gilbert Perez
School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses
Throughout 2025 and in the first few months of 2026 there has been an increased presence of immigration law enforcement in the state of Minnesota, which has extended into the central Minnesotan diocese of St. Cloud.
Review: The Jesuits: A Thematic History By Claudio Ferlan,
2026
Loyola University Chicago
Review: The Jesuits: A Thematic History By Claudio Ferlan, Ashley N. Gisiger Edd
Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal
No abstract provided.
Editorial: On Change, Again,
2026
Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School
Editorial: On Change, Again, Kari Kloos
Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal
No abstract provided.
Contesting The Sacred: Ideology And Church Music Reform In Spain, 1850–1900,
2026
CUNY Graduate Center
Contesting The Sacred: Ideology And Church Music Reform In Spain, 1850–1900, Francisco J. Legasa
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
This dissertation argues that sacred-music reform in Spain between 1850 and 1900 was not a unified movement culminating in the 1903 Motu proprio, but a contest between two distinct and contemporaneous programs. The first, associated with Hilarión Eslava, affirmed musical expression and artistic progress, embraced stylistic eclecticism, and sought to rebuild musical institutions, modernize pedagogy, and forge alliances with civic life. It drew on Romantic thought that attributed to music a distinctive capacity to mediate religious experience. The second, aligned with Roman ultramontanism, held that Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony were the only legitimate models for sacred music and that …
Religious Liberty In The American Republic: How A Catholic Family Influenced Religious Freedom In The United States,
2026
Liberty University
Religious Liberty In The American Republic: How A Catholic Family Influenced Religious Freedom In The United States, Darien J. Garland
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History
The American Revolution was a call for both individual freedom and freedom from British Rule. Tyrannical rule, taxation without representation in Parliament, and British military control of the colonies were all central to the Revolution, as was the emphasis on individual rights. One such right sought by the American colonists was the right to practice a religion of their choosing – but there was much debate about how freedom of religion would apply in the colonies. Ironically, the same freedom of religion which was central to the Revolution was not equally applied to all religions – in the colonies, Catholicism …
