Patricia Walter, O.P.
MA in Scripture and Systematics, Aquinas Institute of
Theology; S.T.L. in Systematics, Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley; Ph.D.
in Philosophical and Systematic Theology, Graduate Theological Union; Doctor of
Humane Letters, honoris causa, Barry University
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology
The shifts in understanding the church and the world
incorporated into the work of the Second Vatican Council challenged many of the ways I had previously understood God, myself, church and world. These changes raised such significant questions for me that I felt I needed formal study of theology to address them. As a Dominican, I understood the relationship between study and the life of contemplation, a relationship particularly profound in theological studies. So the study of theology was necessary to deepen my faith and to anchor my prayer.
I was blessed
in beginning my theological study at Aquinas Institute. My teachers were both scholarly and pastoral; they responded to my questions both about theology and faith. In this journey of questioning and discovery, it meant a great deal to me to worship with the same people who were in my classes-students and professors alike. This experience has shaped my own teaching. It is a privilege to be engaged in the communal pursuit of truth or, as St. Catherine of Siena would say, Truth, and to do this with students who have diverse backgrounds, reasons for studying theology, cultures and viewpoints. In the engagement of tradition and contemporary questions, of faith and practice, I am constantly challenged to come to a deeper understanding and more adequate expression of my faith.
I am intrigued by
the relationships between the new physics, metaphysics, and theology. How do we talk about God and world, about revelation and salvation, in a way that acknowledges what we know about the vastness of space/time, that orients us in an age of globalization, and that supports our commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation? I am also interested in questions of authority, tradition and hermeneutics. During the past ten or more years I’ve written and given presentations on the theology of religious life and on Dominican life and charism; I plan to develop these into a book. I am beginning to do research on truth, dialogue and heresy.
Recent Presentations
- “Mysticism in the Dominican Tradition,” Dominican Sisters of Eastern Europe, Slovakia, 14-24 July 2005
- “Gospel, Tradition, and the Universe Story.” Vision Integration Study Week, Weber Center, Adrian, MI, 25 June 2005
- “Religious Life in the Life of the Church,” Archdiocesan Celebration of Consecrated Life with Cardinal George, Chicago, IL,12 February 2005
- “Dominican Charism and History,” Leadership Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, Santa Cruz, CA, 19-22 January 2005
- “Theology of Religious Life and Its Implications for Leaders and Formators,” “Centered and Eccentric: Vocation and Mission,” “Religious Life in the Church,” presentations for the Religious Formation Conference, Region IV (Villa Maria, PA, 2-3 April 2004); Region VI (Dayton, OH, 12-13 November 2004); Region X (15-16 April 2005)
- “The Future of Religious Life: Refounding and Transformation,” keynote address to the annual assembly of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, Villa Maria, PA, 12 August 2004.
- “There Are No Wallflowers in the Dance Hall of God,” Centennial Speakers Series, Stanford Catholic Center, 18 May 2004
- “Dominican Charism and Spirituality,” Supervisors’ Retreat, Aquinas Institute, 15-16 April 2004
“It is a privilege to be engaged in the communal pursuit of truth or, as St. Catherine of Siena would say, Truth, and to do this with students who have diverse backgrounds, reasons for studying theology, cultures and viewpoints.”