Rev. Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., Ph.D., is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology and professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...

 in Los Angeles, having received his doctorate

Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

 from Duke University

Duke University

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...

. A systematic theologian

Systematic theology

In the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...

 specializing in the areas of Christology

Christology

Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...

, ecclesiology

Ecclesiology

Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...

, and ecumenism

Ecumenism

Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...

, he has published 17 books and over 200 articles and reviews. His latest book, Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to His Theological Vision, examines the theology of the current pontiff. He has taught at Loyola Marymount since 1976.

In addition to his current endowed professorship at LMU, Fr. Rausch has also served as the Director of Campus Ministry, Chair of the Theological Studies Department, Associate Dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, and Rector of the Jesuit

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 Community. He has held visiting professorships throughout the world.

Beyond studying and writing about ecumenical theology, Fr. Rausch has also been an active participant in the ecumenical movement. In 1983-1984 he was appointed by the Secretariat for Christian Unity as Catholic Tutor to the Ecumenical Institute, the World Council of Churches

World Council of Churches

The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...

 study center at Bossey, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. He was a member of the U.S. Catholic/Southern Baptist Conversation 1994-2001 and one of the signatories of the Richard John Neuhaus/Charles Colson Evangelicals and Catholics Together 1997 document, "The Gift of Salvation." In 2001 he was appointed to the Roman Catholic/World Evangelical Alliance Consultation and serves as co-chair of the Los Angeles Catholic-Evangelical Committee. He presently is a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation, USA. He also co-chairs the Theological Commission of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...

 and is a member of the Editorial Commission for The Tidings, the archdiocese's weekly newspaper.

He is frequently quoted on programs for the History Channel and other similar television channels. His writing has been heralded by fellow theologians across theological disciplines. One has noted, "With his trademark clarity, accessibility, and depth, Rausch helps us understand the essentials of our Christian faith in a church and world marked by polarization and conflict."

Works

• Priesthood and Ministry: From Küng to the Ecumenical Debate (1983)
• The Roots of the Catholic Tradition (1986)
• Authority and Leadership in the Church: Past Directions and Future Possibilities (1989)
• Radical Christian Communities (1990)
• Priesthood Today: An Appraisal (1992)
• The College Student's Introduction to Theology (Editor, 1993)
• Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium (1996)
• Reconciling Faith and Reason: Apologist, Evangelists, and Theologians in a Divided Church (2000)
• Catholics and Evangelicals: Do They Share a Common Future? (Editor, 2000)
• Catholicism in the Third Millennium (Second Edition, 2003)
• Who Is Jesus? An Introduction to Christology (2003)
• Evangelizing America (Editor, 2004)
• Towards a Truly Catholic Church: An Ecclesiology for the Third Millennium (2005)
• Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice (2006)
• An 8 Day Ignatian Retreat for Priests, Religious, Deacons, and Lay Ministers (2008)
• I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles’ Creed (2008)
• Pope Benedict XVI: An Introduction to his Theological Vision (2009)
• Educating for Faith and Justice: Catholic Higher Education Today (2010)