New Blood at ND

Hat tip to the folks over at Memoria Dei. Francesca Murphy and John Betz have officially accepted the offers to join systematic theology at Notre Dame. News that ND was in the process of strengthening their systematics faculty reached the Catholics here at Duke ages ago, and sifting through the rumors added to the typical madness of application season. Now that the rumors are confirmed, I can safely say that the strength of systematic theology at Notre Dame his improved dramatically overnight. It is particularly fortunate for me to have two scholars- specializing in areas that deeply interest me- arriving just as I begin my studies there.

Time will tell, but it looks as though ND will be a great place to study theological aesthetics. Murphy has written extensively on theological aesthetics, Communio theology, and contemporary Thomism (Gilson in particular); Betz is perhaps best known for his work on the analogy of being, with his forthcoming translation of Przywara's Analogia Entis (tag-teaming with David B. Hart) and his essay on the aesthetics of the analogy of being. Cyril O'Regan enters the mix by way of his expertise in Balthasar, though his current project supposedly focuses on Balthasar's relation to Hegel and Heidegger. In fact, all three scholars appear to have a solid grounding in the thought of Balthasar. Providential, considering Balthasar is becoming even more of a central figure in my own fledgling thought. Fortune smiles upon me.

I'd say things are looking up for Irish theologians . Now if only the football team would win a national championship this year, we would know beyond a doubt that it is truly God's favorite university.

Pax Christi,