Peter Steinfels
Encyclopedia
Peter F. Steinfels is an American
journalist
and educator best known for his writings on religious
topics.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, and a lifelong Roman Catholic, Steinfels earned his Ph.D
from Columbia University
and joined the staff of the journal Commonweal
in 1964. He served as a visiting professor at Notre Dame
in 1994-95 and then as visiting professor at Georgetown University
from 1997 to 2001. From 1990 to 2010, he wrote a column called "Beliefs" for the religion section of the New York Times.
He is a professor at Fordham University
and co-director of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture. Steinfels has also written several books, including The Neoconservatives: The Men Who Are Changing America's Politics (ISBN 0-671-41384-8) and A People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America (ISBN 0-684-83663-7).
He has argued in favor of the ordination of women
as priests and deacons, and has suggested that this could eventually lead to the creation of female cardinals.
. They have two children, Gabrielle Steinfels and John Melville Steinfels.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and educator best known for his writings on religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
topics.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, and a lifelong Roman Catholic, Steinfels earned his Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and joined the staff of the journal Commonweal
Commonweal
Commonweal is a American journal of opinion edited and managed by lay Catholics. It is headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City.-History:...
in 1964. He served as a visiting professor at Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 1994-95 and then as visiting professor at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
from 1997 to 2001. From 1990 to 2010, he wrote a column called "Beliefs" for the religion section of the New York Times.
He is a professor at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and co-director of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture. Steinfels has also written several books, including The Neoconservatives: The Men Who Are Changing America's Politics (ISBN 0-671-41384-8) and A People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America (ISBN 0-684-83663-7).
He has argued in favor of the ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
as priests and deacons, and has suggested that this could eventually lead to the creation of female cardinals.
Family
He is married to Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, a writer and former editor of CommonwealCommonweal
Commonweal is a American journal of opinion edited and managed by lay Catholics. It is headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City.-History:...
. They have two children, Gabrielle Steinfels and John Melville Steinfels.