Edward Hahnenberg

Background

\ Dr. Edward P. Hahnenberg came to John Carroll in 2011 as the inaugural holder of the Jack and Mary Jane Breen Chair in Catholic Theology. He taught previously at Xavier University and at the University of Notre Dame, where he received his Ph.D. in 2002. He is a past delegate to the U.S. Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue and former theological consultant to the U.S. Bishops' Subcommittee on Lay Ministry. Since 2023, he has served as Director of the Tuohy Center for Interreligious Understanding.\

\ Dr. Hahnenberg is the author or co-editor of eight books—including most recently, The Legacy and Limits of Vatican II in an Age of Crisis; Transforming Ministry Formation; and Theodore Hesburgh, CSC: Bridge Builder. The recipient of John Carroll University’s Distinguished Faculty Award and Culicchia Award for Teaching Excellence, Dr. Hahnenberg received the 2019 Called and Gifted Award from the Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry in recognition of his contributions to the church’s ministerial life.\

Areas of Expertise

• Dr. Hahnenberg's research interests include developments in 20th century Catholic systematic theology
• the Second Vatican Council
• theologies of church
• ministry
• and vocation.
  

Research Interests

Current research projects include: the history and reception of Vatican II’s Decree on the Lay Apostolate; ecclesial agency; synodality; theology and the Catholic university.

Education

Courses Taught

\ UNDERGRADUATE COURSES\

\ TRS 1300: SACRED QUEST
\ Introduces the academic study of religion by exploring the various ways individuals and communities articulate their experience of the divine. Moves from a general consideration of the nature of religious experience to the ways in which this experience takes shape in various sacred scriptures, traditions, theologies, and moral claims.
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\ TRS 1300: CONTEMPORARY CATHOLIC THEOLOGY
\ Examines developments within Roman Catholic theology since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and the implications for Catholics today. Particular emphasis on divine revelation, sacrament, church, and social justice.
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\ TRS 235: SAINTS AND SOCIETY
\ Examines the theological significance of saints in the Roman Catholic tradition. Topics include the origins of the cult of the saints, changing models of sanctity, ritual and devotional practices, the process and politics of canonization, and the implications of the veneration of saints for a theological treatment of God, the church, and the human person.
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\ TRS 3126: JESUS IN FILM
\ Introduction to the words and deeds of the historical Jesus of Nazareth, as understood by his contemporaries. Comparisons to how Jesus was later understood and portrayed by his followers (e.g., in the New Testament) and in popular media (art, literature, and film).
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\ GRADUATE COURSES\

\ 5320: CHRIST AND THE PASCHAL MYSTERY
\ Studies the principal developments in theological reflection on the meaning and significance of Jesus Christ in the New Testament and in later church tradition; consideration of how contemporary Christology is both affected by and responds to crucial concerns of today’s culture.
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\ TRS 5330: THEOLOGICAL METHODS
\ Consideration of key theological concepts (e.g., revelation, faith, scripture, tradition, community, context) and how they play out in several contemporary theological methodologies. Beginning with the assumption that all theology is contextual, the course locates individual thinkers within their different historical and cultural worlds—inviting students to reflect on what it means to do theology out of their own unique commitments, contexts, and life experiences.
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\ TRS 5340: CHURCH AND SACRAMENT
\ Explores the church as “sacrament of salvation” through an examination of the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), the sacraments of healing (Penance, Anointing of the Sick), and sacraments at the service of communion (Matrimony, Holy Orders). Topics include images, models, and marks of the church, as well as the historical, liturgical, and theological development of the seven sacraments.
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\ TRS 5380: TEACHING THEOLOGY
\ Introduction to pedagogy for theological educators. Topics include the nature and goals of theological education, the vocation of the theology teacher, the sociological research relevant to religious education, the developmental needs of adolescents and young adults, diversity in the classroom, and concrete pedagogical strategies. Special attention given to practical implementation of the learning goals of the U.S. Catholic Bishops High School Curriculum Framework.\

Publications

\ The Legacy and Limits of Vatican II in an Age of Crisis, co-edited with Catherine E. Clifford, Kristin M. Colberg, and Massimo Faggioli. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2025.
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\ Transforming Ministry Formation, co-edited with Marti R. Jewell and Theodore James Whapham. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2021.
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\ Theodore Hesburgh, CSC: Bridge Builder. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2020.
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\ A Church with Open Doors: Catholic Ecclesiology for the Third Millennium, co-edited with Richard R. Gaillardetz. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press (Michael Glazier), 2015.
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\ Theology for Ministry: An Introduction for Lay Ministers. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2014.
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\ Awakening Vocation: A Theology of Christian Call. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press (Michael Glazier), 2010.
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\ A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II. Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2007.
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\ Ministries: A Relational Approach. New York: Crossroad Publishing (Herder), 2003.\