The College Theology Society (CTS) gathered at the University of Dayton this year to discuss “The Locus of the Theological Vocation” at the Seventy-First Annual Convention held from Thursday, May 29, to Sunday, June 1, 2025. One hundred eighty-seven people registered for the convention, which was held in conjunction with the meeting of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR). Convention cochairs Nancy M. Rourke (Saint John Fisher University), Nathaniel Holmes Jr. (Florida Memorial University), and Ramon Luzarraga (Saint Martin’s University) invited society members to consider, develop, and present papers that addressed the following questions. First, how do theologians’ loci affect their theological work? This included social, political, academic, and professional contexts. Second, how will theology’s evolving context impact the life of the church or the academy? And third, where is the path forward for theology, including opportunities to do our work inside the academy, church institutions, or other contexts?
Collectively, members of the CTS and NABPR participated in forty-one sectional meetings, in which ninety-nine papers and four responses were presented, and twenty-eight participants joined in seven different panel discussions. The convention also included four plenary addresses and the NABPR Region-at-Large presidential address. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, SJ, of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University gave the opening plenary “Shifting Sands or Solid Ground? Finding Our Feet in Contemporary Academic Theology” on Thursday evening. Matthew Cressler of the Corporation for Public Interest Technology in Washington, DC, presented “The (Sequential) Art of Doing Theology in Public(s), from Public-facing Scholarship to Public Benefit Corporations,” followed immediately by Matthew Shadle, an independent scholar based in Iowa, who spoke on “Making Theology More Synodal in the Midst of Crisis,” both on Friday evening. The concluding plenary on Saturday was given by Catherine Punsalan-Manlimos of Seattle University on “Anchoring Catholic Colleges and Universities: Theologians as Mission Leaders.”
The Saturday sessions featured the presidential address by the president of the NABPR Region-at-Large. This year, Spencer Boersma of the Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada, spoke on “Seeking Further Light Down Ancient Paths: The Catholic–Baptist Theological Pilgrimage of Clark Pinnock.”
That same day, Mary-Paula Cancienne, RSM, and Brian Flanagan convened a visioning session to discuss various drafts of the CTS mission statement.
CTS president Johann Vento of Georgian Court University, New Jersey, convened the society’s annual business meeting Saturday afternoon. President Vento updated the membership on a number of important initiatives in which the society is currently involved and thanked those involved. First, the CTS’s own visioning process continues. President Vento thanked the working group leading this process, including Kathy Lilla Cox (University of San Diego), M. T. Davila (Merrimack College), Brian Flanagan (New Ways Ministry), Craig Ford (St. Norbert College), Flora x. Tang (University of Notre Dame), and Sandra Yocum (University of Dayton), as well as Mary-Paula Cancienne, RSM (Georgian Court University), who is serving as consultant. Next, President Vento thanked past president Flanagan for continuing the dialogues the CTS is involved in with other societies in the theological guild, including Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS), Academy of Catholic Theology (ACT), Black Catholic Theological Symposium (BCTS), Canadian Theological Society (CTS-CAN), Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA), and Fellowship of Catholic Scholars (FCS).
President Vento then reported on the CTS’s participation in the December 2024 General Assembly of the International Network of Societies for Catholic Theology (INSeCT) in Rome, which included the participation in the Dicastery on Culture and Education’s conference entitled “The Future of Theology in the University Setting and Its Necessary Conversions.” It was decided that CTS will participate in INSeCT for the next three years and discern thereafter whether it is a good fit for the future of our organization.
Vice President Mara Brecht (Loyola University Chicago) was unable to attend the business meeting. Jessica Coblentz (Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN) gave the vice president’s report on her behalf. In the spring election, Ramon Luzarraga (St. Martin’s University) was elected vice president; John Allen (Central Catholic High School, Pittsburgh, PA), treasurer; Stephanie Edwards (Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium), and Luke Briola (Saint Vincent College), board members at large; and Jason Steidl Jack (St. Joseph’s University, NY), as DEI Officer.
The 2025–2026 awards committee members were announced. Laura Taylor will serve as chair, with committee members Laura Harrington, Callie Tabor, A. J. Hoy, Amy Maxey, and Mary Kate Birge, SSJ. A motion to approve the membership for the awards committee for 2025–2026 was put forward and passed. Ramon Luzarraga was thanked for serving as chair for the 2024–2025 committee.
A slate of appointees for the 2025–2026 nominations committee was then introduced. They were Anita M. Houck (St. Mary’s College, IN), Mary Kate Holman (Fairfield University), and Joseph Flipper (University of Dayton). A motion to approve the nominations committee for 2025–2026 was put forward and passed. Tracy Tiemeier (Loyola Marymount University) was thanked for serving on this committee.
As is the custom of the society, outgoing board directors Cristina Lledo Gomez (BBI–The Australian Institute of Theological Education) and Craig Ford (Candler School of Theology) were approved by the society to serve on the Resolutions Committee, along with the vice president (ex officio) for the 2025–2026 year. Coblentz recognized the other board members who have completed their years of service: Nicole Reibe (Creighton University), treasurer; Tracy Tiemeier (Loyola Marymount University), senior DEI officer; and board members at large Cristina Lledo Gomez (BBI–The Australian Institute of Theological Education) and Craig Ford (Candler School of Theology). Coblentz also thanked Mara Brecht, outgoing vice president, for her service. She concluded her report by reminding the membership of forthcoming elections in 2026, when CTS will be seeking nominations for president-elect, DEI officer-elect, and two at large board members. The CTS members were encouraged to nominate themselves or a colleague through the conference feedback forms and to vote in the spring 2026 elections.
The secretary of the society, Paul Schutz (Santa Clara University), reported that the society’s membership numbers were helped by significant growth among graduate student and associate members, but there were also losses among full professional members due to retirements and nonrenewals. He has also been more proactive about removing inactive members and deactivating lapsed memberships. He proceeded to show how these shifts in the makeup of CTS members correlate with annual conference registrations, which are up. He continued by emphasizing the need to attract new members. Here, the focus should remain on hospitality, community, retention, and engagement. Schutz concluded his report by reminding the membership of the invitation to come to the CTS liturgy and reception at the forthcoming AAR-SBL annual meeting in Boston, MA. He thanked those assembled for the opportunity to serve as CTS secretary.
Nicole Reibe (Creighton University) then gave the treasurer’s report. She reported that the society remains in a good financial position. The society’s assets at this writing totaled $438,538.01, although this figure does not account for the cost of the convention. Reibe proceeded to report that $2,472.00 was raised for the Father Sloyan Fund, and $2,494.00 was spent from that fund to help twelve awardees, 100 percent of those who applied, to receive support for registration, housing, and meals. She spoke about how that fund enabled six new members to attend their first in-person CTS, helped twelve members present papers, some their first ever conference paper, how it materially supported DEI efforts in the society and broader theological world and created space for discernment, emerging voices, and community. In addition, Reibe challenged CTS members to develop a culture of support that reflects the mission of the CTS and increase their support for the fund. This challenge was accompanied by a goal to maintain sufficient funds to increase the number of applicants who seek aid and cover registration for all graduate and contingent members (∼$6,000.00).
The executive director of national conventions, Daniel Rober (Sacred Heart University), reported that 187 people registered for the conference. He asked the membership to consider reviewing for the annual volume. Rober, reprising a theme from previous years, also spoke about price increases and compared costs to our meeting at Regis University. These costs result from hidden or unexpected expenses, which are not always accounted for in cost estimates for the conference. Moreover, the cost of putting on events such as the annual convention keeps rising due to inflation and other factors, a phenomenon also reported by other academic societies about their meetings and operations. Rober proceeded to announce the theme of the upcoming 2026 convention: “Reclaiming Faith Amid Christian Nationalism.” Christina Astorga (University of Portland) and Michael McGravey (Our Lady of the Elms College) will serve as convenors and volume editors. Villanova University will host the meeting. Rober concluded his report with a request. He needs new campus sites and local coordinators. He reminded the membership that the campus must be available the weekend after Memorial Day, meeting rooms should be inexpensive, and single dorm rooms should be less than $80.00 per night, including linens.
Director of Research and Publications Reid Locklin (University of Toronto) announced the successful publication of the 2024 annual volume, Vulnerability and Flourishing, edited by Cristina Lledo Gomez and John N. Sheveland. The 2025 annual volume, The Locus of the Theological Vocation, will be edited by Nathaniel Holmes Jr., Ramon Luzarraga, and Nancy M. Rourke. Locklin also announced that the publication agreement with Orbis to publish the annual volume was renewed for another five years. He concluded with an appeal to the membership to peer review submissions for the annual volume.
Horizons editor Elena Procario-Foley (Iona University) reported that Horizons volumes 51, no. 1, and 51, no. 2, have been published, with a total of 441 pages. As of March 2025, there are sixty-seven institutional subscriptions and 3,902* negotiated sales and donation agreements. (These figures await confirmation from Cambridge University Press.) The two-year Golden Anniversary Celebration concluded with issue 51.2, December 2024. The Anniversary Roundtable featured a reprint of John Connolly’s article Revelation as Liberation from Oppression: Black Theology’s Challenge for American Catholic Theology with responses from Karen Teel (University of San Diego) and Shawn Copeland (Boston College). Procario-Foley reminded those assembled that eventually publication will be only in a digital format. She noted that the June 2025, volume 51, no.1, issue is in production and should be up by mid-June.
Regarding the relationship with Cambridge University Press, a new five-year contract was signed, effective January 1, 2026. Besides the move to an all-digital format, there will be a gradual move to becoming an open access journal during the new contract period. Procario-Foley also declined the use of Horizons for AI training. The relationship with Villanova remains essential and strong. Procario-Foley explained staff changes, specifically her retirement from Horizons at the end of 2025, at which time Christopher Denny (St. John’s University, NY) will become editor and Cristina Lledo Gomez (BBI–The Australian Institute of Theological Education) will join the staff as associate editor.
Awards Committee member Ramon Luzarraga presented the society’s writing awards. Cristina Lledo Gomez was awarded best article for “Bangon Na, Pinays Rise Up: Reclaiming Pinay Power Dismantled by a Christian Colonial Past and Present,” in 500 Years of Christianity and the Global Filipino/a, Pathways for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue, published by Palgrave Macmillan. Julia Feder (St. Mary’s College, IN) received the best book award for Incarnating Grace: A Theology of Healing from Sexual Trauma, published by Fordham University Press. There were no nominations or submissions and consequently no winner of the Susan Perry award for best graduate student paper.
Craig Ford presented the 2025 Monika Hellwig Teaching Excellence award to Timothy Hanchin of Villanova University.
Finally, the CTS board voted at its May 29, 2025, meeting to recognize in this report the members of our society who have died since the last convention. We recognize that this list will be incomplete every year, but it is a sign of our esteem for the contributions of our named and unnamed colleagues to church and society, and a recognition of our mourning. Eternal rest grant unto the dearly departed members of CTS, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Anne Clifford, CTS president
Fr. David Gentry-Akin, CTS executive director of conventions for ten years
Susan Perry, Orbis Books, CTS annual volume editor; CTS Presidential award
