OBLATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
San Antonio, TX
Position Description
Full-Time Faculty Position: Professor of Spirituality
Summary of Position
Oblate School of Theology, the premier Roman Catholic school of Theology and Ministry serving the Southwest United States, seeks a Professor of Spirituality at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor with a preferred start date of August 2022.
A successful applicant will be familiar with and able to teach Christian Spirituality from some foundational dimension of the discipline (i.e. historical expertise in spiritual or mystical sources, scripture, or theology) and be able to integrate this knowledge with contemporary research in at least one of the following applied or practical disciplines: psychology, cultural and critical studies, hermeneutics, spiritual practices, health care and/or other social and professional areas.
Candidates should be able to provide graduate students with the necessary tools to assess religious experience, critically evaluate contemporary movements within Spirituality, help mentor others spiritually, do scholarly research and publishing in the area of Spirituality, and develop a vocabulary to articulate both the human spirit and divine revelation more effectively.
The successful candidate will be willing to teach in all of Oblate’s Spirituality degree programs (normally two courses/seminars per semester). Candidates should be able to engage in the formation process of graduate students who come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
This requires familiarity with and flexible use of pedagogical practices to help second-language learners. A person who is fluent in Spanish will be most helpful in this regard. The candidate will also be familiar with pedagogical practices for successful online teaching.
The successful candidate will be willing and able to work with colleagues in all aspects of graduate professional theological education in an ecumenically diverse setting. She or he will serve on faculty committees, act as a consultant or mentor for students, and serve as an academic advisor and thesis and dissertation director or committee member in the MA, DMin, and PhD degree programs.
Accountability
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean
Department
Faculty
Education and Experience
- Applicants should have a PhD or its equivalent in Spirituality or a related field with a demonstrable specialty in some aspect of Spirituality; late-stage ABD candidates will also be considered.
Skills and Qualifications
- Demonstrated excellence in teaching and scholarly research is expected.
- Demonstrated sensitivity to and ability to work with the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of members of the school community is required.
- Fluency in multiple contemporary languages and research languages is desirable.
Description of OST and Relevant Programs
Established in 1903, OST is a vibrant and complex educational institution that provides theological and ministerial leadership in both academic and pastoral degrees. OST’s declared mission is to educate, form, and renew men and women to “preach the Gospel to the most abandoned.”
Oblate School of Theology initiated the academic programs in Spirituality (MA, DMin, PhD) as a response to an expressed need in graduate education in Spirituality. Our various programs in Spirituality seek to produce scholars with comprehensive knowledge of the overall discipline as well as a specialization in some aspect of contemporary Christian Spirituality. The goal is to immerse each student in the history and tradition of classical Christian Spirituality so as to give him or her the tools to assess religious experience, critically evaluate contemporary movements within Spirituality, help mentor others spiritually, do scholarly research and publishing in the area of spirituality, and develop a vocabulary to articulate both the human spirit and divine revelation more effectively.
The Master of Arts in Spirituality is an ATS accredited graduate level academic program designed to help students from a variety of Christian religious traditions deepen their understanding of Christian spirituality. Students study various classical and contemporary Christian spiritual and mystical traditions, movements, and figures.
The Doctoral Program in Spirituality seeks to produce scholars with comprehensive knowledge of the overall discipline as well as a specialization in at least one particular area of Christian Spirituality. The specific approach will be academic from the perspective of the Roman Catholic tradition, with openness to ecumenical and interreligious perspectives.
The Doctor of Ministry Program also has a specialization in the area of Spirituality. The DMin is grounded in a mode of practical theology that seeks to bring theological reflection to bear on contemporary practical issues of ministry, ecclesiology, and mission.
To Apply
To apply, please submit a C.V., a cover letter addressing your academic background and research interests, and a list of three references to facultysearch@ost.edu. References will not be contacted until the final stages of the process. Review of applications will begin on November 15.