Outside the Walls

Carolyn Pirtle is the Program Director at the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy in the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. She earned her master's degrees in theology and sacred music at Notre Dame, and also a master’s degree in music at Kansas State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in music. She is the author of Ten Ways to Pray: A Catholic Guide for Drawing Closer to God, part of the Engaging Catholicism Series published by Ave Maria Press.

Dr. Margaret Turek is Academic Dean and Professor of Dogmatics at St Patrick Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California.

Her book, Atonement: Soundings in Biblical, Trinitarian, and Spiritual Theology, presents the chief insights concerning the mystery of atonement in the works of four theological guides: John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Norbert Hoffmann.

The book's central aim is to deepen our understanding of the biblical claim that God shows himself to be love precisely by sending his Son as atonement. "In this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins" (1 Jn 4:10).

The book develops a compelling vision of atonement as a process that originates from and is engendered by God's own power to love. This vision not only takes account of the gravity of sin and its consequences, but also provides a clear illumination of the wholly gratuitous, radically forgiving, passionate and powerful nature of God's redeeming love for mankind. Distinct from the majority of theological accounts of atonement, which focus almost exclusively on the role of Christ, this book highlights the role of God the Father in the atoning mission of the Son.

Fr. Isaac Morales, O.P. is an Associate Professor in the School of Theology at Providence College, with an academic focus on the New Testament, Paul, Baptism, and the Theological Interpretation of Scripture. He is the author of The Bible and Baptism: The Fountain of Salvation which is part of the “Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments” series from Baker Academic. 

We talk about the book to get a more complete understanding of the Church's teaching around the sacrament of Baptism.

Dr. John Bergsma is a professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a doctorate specializing in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls from the University of Notre Dame. His most recent book, Love Basics for Catholics: Illustrating God’s Love for Us throughout the Bible is part of the Basics for Catholics series on Ave Maria Press.

Fr. R. Aaron Wessman is vicar general and director of formation for the Glenmary Home Missioners (glenmary.org). He has a PhD from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium in systematic theology and is a guest lecturer at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. 

His recent book The Church's Mission in a Polarized World, part of the New City Press Magenta series, is the subject of our conversation.

Kim is the author of Rooting Your Teen in the Faith: A Field Guide for Catholic Parents (Our Sunday Visitor) and Discipleship Parenting: Planting Seeds of Faith (Our Sunday Visitor).

Dr. Shaun Blanchard is a Senior Research Fellow at National Institute for Newman Studies, and Lecturer in Theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia. He is the author of several books in the area of theological history, including a Global Anthology of the Catholic Enlightenment on CUA Press which he co-edited with Dr. Ulrich Lehner, and our topic today, a volume of Oxford’s “Very Short Introduction” series on Vatican II which he coauthored with Dr. Steven Bullivant.

Dawn Eden Goldstein, SThD, is the award-winning author of the biography of Edward Dowling, S.J., Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.'s Spiritual Sponsor (Orbis Books), as well as Sunday Will Never Be the Same and (under the pen name Dawn Eden) The Thrill of the Chaste, My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints, and Remembering God's Mercy. Together her books have been translated into ten languages.

Born in New York City, Dr. Goldstein began her working life as a rock-and-roll historian. She went on to editorial positions at the New York Post and the Daily News before publishing her first book in 2006. In 2016, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in sacred theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. Her book Father Ed won a 2023 Christopher Award, and Remembering God's Mercy won a 2017 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers (First Place, Inspirational Category). She lives in Washington, DC, and has taught at universities and seminaries in the United States, England, and India. Follow her on Twitter @dawnofmercy.

Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa is the Founder and President of New Wave Feminists. She’s written for America Magazine, The Berkley Forum at Georgetown University, and a raucous series of Improbable Hagiographies for the Catholic Herald.

She joins is to talk about the work of New Wave Feminists, and particularly about their Stellar Shelter on the US/Mexico border.

Dr. Ann Garrido is associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, where she previously directed the school’s Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching program. Dr. Garrido has served as the Marten Faculty Fellow in Homiletics at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning Redeeming Administration, Redeeming Conflict, and Let’s Talk About Truth. She travels nationally and internationally helping communities discuss the topics they find toughest to talk about—conversations that always involve questions of truth.