Robert J. Spitzer (born May 16, 1952) is a Jesuit

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

, philosopher, educator, author, speaker, and retired President of

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) () is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, th ...

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...

. Spitzer is founder and currently active as president of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing educational materials on the complementarity of science, philosophy, and faith. He is also president of the Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership, dedicated to helping Catholic and for-profit organizations develop leadership, constructive cultures, and virtue ethics.

Early life

Robert J. Spitzer was born in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

, then the United States

Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territories of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from Ap ...

, on May 16, 1952, the son of Arthur H. Spitzer and Blanche H. Van Oort Spitzer. He went to Punahou School, graduating in 1970 as a member of the

National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic ach ...

Education

Spitzer received a

Bachelor of Business Administration Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) is a bachelor's degree in business administration awarded by colleges and universities after completion of undergraduate study in the fundamentals of business administration and usually including advanc ...

degree with a focus on

public accounting An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certi ...

and finance (''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

'') from

in 1974. He earned a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in philosophy from

St. Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...

(''magna cum laude'') in 1978, a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and ...

degree from the

Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school (pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

in Rome (''

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

'') in 1983, a

Master of Theology Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand ...

degree in Scripture from the Weston School, now the

Boston College School of Theology and Ministry The Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (STM) is a Jesuit school of graduate theology at Boston College. It is an ecclesiastical faculty of theology that trains men and women, both lay and religious, for scholarship and service, espec ...

, in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most ...

, (''summa cum laude'') in 1984, and a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

degree from the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U. ...

in Washington, DC (''summa cum laude''), in 1988. His dissertation, under Paul Weiss, is entitled ''A Study of Objectively Real Time''. Spitzer is currently the Rector of Junípero Serra Catholic High School in

San Juan Capistrano, California San Juan Capistrano ( Spanish for " St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census. San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. ...

Academic career

Spitzer began his teaching career at

as a teaching assistant in 1978. He continued at

Seattle University Seattle University (SeattleU) is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington. Seattle University is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate p ...

as an instructor of philosophy from 1978-80. He taught as an assistant professor of philosophy at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

from 1984–90, where he received the Bunn Medal for Most Outstanding Faculty Member in 1989. He proceeded to

(1990–98) where he was tenured as an associate professor of philosophy in 1996. During that time he held the Frank Shrontz chair of professional ethics (1997–1998) and won the award for outstanding faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences in 1997. On September 17, 1998, Spitzer was inaugurated as the 25th President of Gonzaga University.

Religious career

Spitzer entered the

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

in August 1974. He took his first

religious vows Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices, and views. In the Buddhism tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of re ...

in August 1976. He was ordained a priest in June 1983, and professed the

fourth vow The fourth vow is a religious solemn vow that is taken by members of various religious institutes of the Catholic Church, after the three traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. It usually is an expression of the congregation's charism ...

particular to the Society in April 1994. His theological interests focus on two areas: fundamental theology and New Testament scripture studies. He is the co-director of the Institute on Faith and Reason at Gonzaga University. Spitzer's interests in New Testament scripture studies focus on Christology, his

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144 ...

at the Gregorian University in Rome was entitled, ''The Influence of Sophia Speculation on Early Christological Hymns''. His thesis at the Weston School in Cambridge, for which he won the American Bible Society award, is entitled, ''The Depth Grammar of "Pneuma" and "En Christo" in I Cor: 12''. He is currently completing a book on Christology entitled, ''The Unconditional Love of God in Jesus Christ''. Spitzer has served the Church in a variety of different capacities: as an advisor to the Theological Committee of the Washington State Catholic Conference between 1994-98 as spiritual director to contemplative religious communities, as advisor to lay religious groups, and as a lecturer in Catholic Higher Education,

fundamental theology Fundamental theology, in John Hardon's ''Modern Catholic Dictionary'', is a "branch of theology which establishes the fact that God has made a supernatural revelation and established the Church, founded by Christ, as its divinely authorized custod ...

Christology In Christianity, Christology (from the Greek grc, Χριστός, Khristós, label=none and grc, -λογία, -logia, label=none), translated literally from Greek as "the study of Christ", is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Differ ...

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 spirituality. He has also been a featured guest and series host on the

Eternal Word Television Network The Eternal Word Television Network, more commonly known by its initials EWTN, is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic-themed programming. It is not only the largest Catholic television network i ...

. Spitzer belongs to several Catholic professional associations: the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the American Catholic Philosophical Association, the Jesuit Philosophical Association, and the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.

Writing and publications

Books *''The Spirit of Leadership: Optimizing Creativity and Change in Organizations'' (Provo, Utah: Executive Excellence Publishers, June 2000). *''Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom and the Life Issues'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2000). *''Five Pillars of the Spiritual Life: A Practical Guide for Active People'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2008). *''New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy'' (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2010). *''Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011). *''Evidence for God from Contemporary Physics: Extending the Legacy of Monsignor Georges Lemaitre'' (South Bend, IN: St. Augustine’s Press, 2015). *''Finding True Happiness: Satisfying Our Restless Hearts'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2015). *''The Soul's Upward Yearning: Clues to our Transcendent Nature from Experience and Reason'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2015). *''God So Loved the World: Clues to our Transcendent Destiny from the Revelation of Jesus'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2016). * 'The Light Shines on in the Darkness: Transforming Suffering through Faith (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2017) Articles *''Definitions of Real Time and Ultimate Reality'' (Journal of Ultimate Reality and Meaning, Vol 23:3, Sept 2000) pp 260–276, for which he received the section editors’ award for the best article between 1999–2001 *''Proofs for the Existence of God Part I: A Metaphysical Argument'' (International Philosophical Quarterly, Vol 41:2, June 2001) pp 162–186. *''Proofs for the Existence of God Part II: A Cosmological Argument and a Lonerganian Argument'' (International Philosophical Quarterly, Vol 41:3, Sept 2001) pp 305–331. *''Indications of Creation in Contemporary Astrophysics'' (Journal of Ultimate Reality and Meaning, Vol 24:3, Sept 2001) pp. 1–50. *''Indications of Creation in Contemporary Big Bang Cosmology.'' (Philosophy in Science, Vol 10, 2003, pp 35–106.) *''Indications of Supernatural Design in Big Bang Cosmology'' (Journal of Ultimate Reality and Meaning, Vol 27:4, December 2004) pp 265–287 *''Getting to the Heart of Ethics'' (Journal of Business and Professional Ethics, Vol 25:1, Spring 2006) *' with James Sinclair: "Fine-tuning and Indications of Transcendent Intelligence" in Theism and Atheism: Philosophical Arguments in Opposition" (New York: Macmillan Reference, 2019) * ' A Contemporary Metaphysical Proof of the Existence of God" in International Philosophical Quarterly, Dec. 2019, pp. 1–50 He has published other articles in a variety of journals and collections concerned with leadership, metaphysics, ethics, ontology of physics, and higher education. Father Spitzer has appeared on several national television programs, including Larry King Live (discussing creation and the universe with Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow, and Deepak Chopra), The History Chanel (discussing creation and the universe), The Today Show (discussing euthanasia), and PBS—Closer to the Light (discussing God and creation). He has a weekly nationwide television program on EWTN called "Father Spitzer's Universe." He also produced eleven television series for EWTN since 1998 (see EWTN catalog).

Founder of institutes and organizations

Spitzer has founded or co-founded five institutes and organizations since 1987:

The Magis Center of Reason and Faith

Upon his retirement from Gonzaga, Spitzer founded the Magis Institute, located at the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, which produces books, articles, documentaries, videos, and new media materials on the complementarity of science, philosophy, and faith—particularly physics, cosmology, philosophy of science, and metaphysics. It also produces high school programs, college programs, and adult education programs on a separate website, Credible Catholic. In 2021, Magis Institute created an additional website, the Purposeful Universe that provides scientific evidence for order in and a purpose behind the universe. As president, Spitzer continues to write, teach, and speak widely on the issues of philosophy of science, metaphysics, theology, and ethics. On 10 September 2010, Spitzer was a panelist on a full-hour prime-time feature with Stephen Hawking dealing with the relationship of faith and reason on ''

Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...

'' (CNN). The program also featured noted author Deepak Chopra and Hawking's co-author, Leonard Mlodinow.

Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership

Spitzer founded this organization in 2005 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The organization focuses on developing leadership, constructive cultures, and virtue ethics in Catholic and for-profit organizations.

Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education

Located in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

and

— co-founded by Spitzer in 1993, who remains active in its leadership. This organization helps business faculty in Jesuit universities to develop modules in ethics, service, social responsibility, and spirituality—commensurate with the educational ideals of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). It also publishes the annual ''Journal of Jesuit Business Education.'

Healing the Culture

A Seattle-based organization co-founded by Spitzer in 1998, who remains active in its leadership. This organization is dedicated to developing educational materials on the philosophical underpinnings of the life issues—particularly "beginning of life" and "end of life" issues. It addresses how these issues affect and are affected by the notions of "happiness", "virtue", "freedom", "love", "personhood", "suffering", and "the common good".

University Faculty for Life

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, organization founded by Spitzer, University Faculty for Life began in 1989. This organization is devoted to promoting research, dialogue, and publication by faculty who respect the value of human life from conception to natural death. It holds an annual conference at different universities and publishes its annual proceedings -- ''Life and Learning''. In 2017, Fr. Spitzer was awarded the Rubert & Timothy Smith Award, the organization's highest award for excellence in scholarship.

References

External links

Gonzaga University

Magis Center

Spitzer Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spitzer, Robert J. 1952 births Living people 20th-century American Jesuits 20th-century American Roman Catholic theologians 21st-century American Jesuits 21st-century American Roman Catholic theologians Boston College alumni Catholic philosophers Catholic University of America alumni Catholics from Hawaii Critics of atheism Georgetown University faculty Gonzaga University alumni Jesuit philosophers Jesuit theologians Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Presidents of Gonzaga University Punahou School alumni Roman Catholic biblical scholars Saint Louis University alumni Saint Louis University faculty Seattle University faculty Writers about religion and science Writers from Honolulu