
Fr. Arthur J. Espelage, O.F.M., J.C.D., is a leading expert on canon law. A practicing canon lawyer since 1979, he has taught canonical studies at St. Leonard Seminary and the Pontifical College Josephinum. He has also served in judicial and administrative capacities in ecclesiastical tribunals in New Mexico, Ohio, and Florida. For three terms, he served as Executive Coordinator of the Canon Law Society of America located at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Ordained as a priest in 1971, he holds a doctorate in canon law from The Catholic University of America.
Praise for Arthur Espelage
“Fr. Art has many years’ experience as a practitioner of Canon Law as well as teaching it. He speaks with enthusiasm as well as knowledge in a way that encourages his readers and listeners to want to explore further.”– Mgr Gordon Read, President of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain & Ireland
“His very clear knowledge and understanding of Canon Law is born not only from a study of the canonical texts but from many years of experience, seeking to apply the principles in a wide variety of pastoral circumstances.” – Aidan McGrath, O.F.M., Secretary General of the Order of Friars Minor

Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz is a leading ecclesial expert and the Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology at Boston College. He is the past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America. He received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Gaillardetz has published numerous articles and has authored or edited ten books, including Keys to the Council: Unlocking the Teaching of Vatican II (co-authored with Catherine Clifford, Liturgical Press, 2012), When the Magisterium Intervenes: The Magisterium and Theologians in Today’s Church (editor, Liturgical Press, 2012) and Ecclesiology for a Global Church: A People Called and Sent (Orbis, 2008). In 2000, he received the Sophia Award from the faculty of the Washington Theological Union in recognition of “theological excellence in service to ministry,” and he has received numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association. Dr. Gaillardetz was a delegate on the U.S. Catholic–Methodist Ecumenical Dialogue from 2001 to 2005. He has previously taught at the University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Theology and the University of Toledo.
Praise for Richard Gaillardetz
“Richard Gaillardetz is one of today’s most important teachers and reliable interpreters of the theology of the Second Vatican Council. He has a remarkable gift for effectively communicating the sometimes complex theological teachings of the council and showing their relevance for people of faith in our day.”– Prof. Catherine Clifford, St. Paul University, Ottawa
“Richard Gaillardetz has that rare ability to translate advanced scholarship into accessible language. He is a great theologian, an undisputed expert on the council, and one of the best teachers I have ever seen in action.”– Edward P. Hahnenberg, Ph.D., author of A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II
“Richard Gaillardetz is one of the finest ecclesiologists at work today. He demonstrates learning and clarity in equal measure, and I cannot imagine a better guide through the complexities of Vatican II.”– Paul Lakeland, Aloysius P. Kelley S.J. Professor of Catholic Studies. Director, Center for Catholic Studies, Fairfield University
“One of our premier ecclesiologists, Rick Gaillardetz has mined the documents of the Second Vatican Council to bring to light gems missed by many. Listening to him as he works through the conciliar documents and explores their implications is always an enriching experience.”– Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology, Loyola Marymount University
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