Richard R. Gaillardetz (born 1958) is an American

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

specializing in questions relating to Catholic

ecclesiology In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its eschatology, and its leadership. In its early history, one of t ...

and the structures of authority in the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. For his dissertation he researched ‘the Theology of the Ordinary Universal Magisterium of Bishops’. He is the author or editor of thirteen books, the most recent of which is ''An Unfinished Council: Vatican II, Pope Francis, and the Renewal of Catholicism'' (Liturgical Press, 2015). Born in a Texas military family, he earned his BA in

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at t ...

in 1981 from the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

and an MA in

biblical theology Because scholars have tended to use the term in different ways, Biblical theology has been notoriously difficult to define. Description Although most speak of biblical theology as a particular method or emphasis within biblical studies, some scho ...

at St. Mary's University in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

in 1984. He also received an MA and a PhD in

systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topic ...

from the University of Notre Dame. From 1991 to 2001, he taught at the University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Theology in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

. From 2001 to 2011, Gaillardetz held the Thomas and Margaret Murray and James J. Bacik Chair in Catholic Studies at the

University of Toledo The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of ...

. He has served on the board of directors of the

Catholic Theological Society of America The Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) is a professional association of Catholic theologians founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition. Its members are primarily in the United States and ...

and on the US Roman Catholic–Methodist Ecumenical Dialogue. In 2011, Gaillardetz left the University of Toledo to accept the Joseph Chair of Catholic Systematic Theology at

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...

Books

*''Go Into the Streets! The Welcoming Church of Pope Francis'' *''An Unfinished Council'' *''A Church with Open Doors'' *''The Church in the Making'' *''Ecclesiology for a Global Church'' *''A Daring Promise: A Spirituality of Christian Marriage'' *''By What Authority?'' *''Readings in Church Authority'' *''Teaching with Authority'' *''Transforming Our Days'' *''Witnesses to the Faith'' *''Keys to the Council'' *''When the Magisterium Intervenes''

References

1958 births American theologians Living people St. Mary's University, Texas alumni Presidents of the Catholic Theological Society of America {{US-theologian-stub