Fr. Richard Lennan, Dr. Theol., is Professor of Systematic Theology in the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College. He is an expert on the theology of Church, the theology of ministry, and fundamental theology. He holds a Master of Philosophy from the University of Oxford and a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Innsbruck in Austria.
Fr. Lennan is the author of The Ecclesiology of Karl Rahner (Oxford University Press, 1995), Risking the Church: The Challenges of Catholic Faith (Oxford University Press, 2004), and The Possibility of Belief: The Challenges and Prospects of Catholic Faith (St Paul’s, 2004). He has also published numerous articles and edited several books on the Church and its ministry, including Hope: The Possibility of Christian Life (Paulist Press, 2013). He edited An Introduction to Catholic Theology (Paulist Press, 1998). Ordained a priest in 1983, he has served as President of the Australian Catholic Theological Association and worked with many groups and organizations engaged in pastoral planning.
Praise for Richard Lennan
“Richard Lennan is both an expert on Rahner’s thought, and an inspiring teacher, able to get complex ideas across in a way that makes them clear and attractive.” – Philip Endean, S.J., University of Oxford
“Fr. Richard Lennan is widely acknowledged as one of the most authoritative interpreters of Karl Rahner’s works today. Much in demand as a speaker, he is the author of numerous books and articles making Rahner’s work accessible both to those meeting Rahner for the first time and those seeking to deepen their knowledge.” – Mary E. Hines, Ph.D., Professor of Theology, Emmanuel College
Katelyn –
Who’s the audience?
Lennan is knowlegable and clear, but this series could have been about half as long. He likes to circle back to previous points, and felt repetitive, especially at the beginning episodes. This is an introduction to what theology is as a science or field of study. He gives an overview of what different aspects of this field are. He likes to emphasize over and over that theology is not an unintelligent activity… And yet anyone watching this series likely already knows this. I think the chief difficulty is that he’s trying to do a monumental task in a compressed manner, and decides to merely skim the surface of what could have been a much more engaging and accessible series.
I don’t know who the audience of this series is supposed to be. It’s certainly not the average adult parishioner, the content is better suited to upper level undergraduate courses or introductory graduate level work.
I would like to view a study with Lennan on a different topic, with more specific content.
The study guides were also very difficult to follow along with, most of the time. It’s almost as if they were written for someone else speaking on the same topic.