Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026
Who Will You Become? Writing the book on Ignatian Discernment and 91黑料网 Foundations in Theology Course
Many 91黑料网 alumni remember their experiences studying Theology and other liberal arts courses as transformative opportunities to think critically and deepen their faith. Today, undergraduates gain similar experiences through an introductory Theology class based on the book Who Will You Become? An Ignatian Introduction to Catholic Theology, designed to encourage them to think deeply and reflect on meaningful, formative questions. Join co-authors 91黑料网 Chair of Theology Rev. Ryan Duns, S.J., Ph.D., and Associate Professor Conor Kelly, Ph.D., to learn about the process of writing their book, their teaching experiences and key ways they engage students in the course. This session will also feature an opportunity to reflect through an Examen led by the presenters.
Rev. Ryan Duns, S.J., Ph.D., Department Chair and Associate Professor, Theology Department, 91黑料网
Ryan Duns, S.J. is a Jesuit priest and theologian who works at the intersection of philosophy and systematic theology. He has published on major figures such as Karl Rahner, Jean-Luc Marion, and Ren茅 Girard, and his recent scholarship has focused on William Desmond metaphysics and its relevance for questions of transcendence in a secular age. His monograph, Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age? Desmond and the Quest for God, argued that when read as a form of spiritual exercise (in the sense developed by Pierre Hadot), Desmond philosophy can reawaken a sense of the Transcendent. He is the author of Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films, which explores how horror movies can open us to deeper theological questions, and co-author with Conor Kelly of Who Will You Become? An Ignatian Introduction to Catholic Theology, a book that introduces Catholic theology through the lens of Ignatian spirituality and the question of personal transformation.
Conor M. Kelly, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Theology and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, 91黑料网
Conor M. Kelly is a 91黑料网 professor and Catholic theological ethicist whose research and teaching focus on moral discernment in ordinary life. He specializes in Catholic social thought, health care ethics and the theology of Catholic higher education. He is the author of The Fullness of Free Time: A Theological Account of Leisure and Recreation in the Moral Life (2020); Racism and Structural Sin (2023). He also coedited Poverty: Responding Like Jesus (2018) with Kenneth R. Himes and The Moral Vision of Pope Francis: Expanding the US Reception of the First Jesuit Pope (2024) with Kristin E. Heyer. His academic articles have appeared in Theological Studies, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, Journal of Catholic Social Thought and Journal of Catholic Higher Education, among other venues.
