John C. Cavadini

John C. Cavadini is Professor of Theology and Director of the Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. He served as Chair of the Department from 1997-2010 and led the Department to a top-10 ranking in the recently released NRC rankings of doctoral programs. He is also the McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life. His main areas of research and teaching are in patristics, that is, the theology of the early church, with a special focus on the theology of St. Augustine, and on the biblical spirituality of the Fathers of the Church. He has published extensively in these areas, as well as in the theology of miracles, the life and work of Gregory the Great, catechetical theology, the theology of marriage, etc. As Director of the Institute for Church Life, he inaugurated the Echo program in catechetical leadership, the ND Vision program for high school students the seminar "What We Hold in Trust" for trustees and presidents of Catholic colleges and universities, the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence program and the Initiative in Spirituality and the Professions, among others. In November, 2009, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to a five-year term on the International Theological Commission and was also created a member of the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, classis civilis, by Pope Benedict. He has served as a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Doctrine since 2006.