Laudato Si at Ten: The Past, Present, Future

The Department of Catholic Studies is pleased to welcome Matthew Ramage, Ph.D., to Seton Hall University at 2 p.m., Thursday, November 13, in the University Center’s Chancellor Suite.

About the Lecture
As we mark the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, this lecture will explore the past, present and future of integral ecology within the Catholic Church’s tradition. A decade after its publication, the riches of Pope Francis’ document remain largely untapped. Moreover, too few are aware that this relatively recent Church teaching stands within a long tradition of honoring creation and calling humanity to its care.

The lecture will invite us to embrace creation as God’s gift and examine how a distinctly Christian ecological vision offers a compelling alternative to the ideological extremes that often permeate discourse on the environment. Countering the common assumption that care for creation is peripheral to the life of faith, we will consider how dwelling rightly within creation is an essential dimension of the call to holiness, drawing us more deeply into the divine covenant of love where every creature finds its rightful place.

About the Speaker
Matthew Ramage, Ph.D., is professor of theology at Benedictine College, where he serves as co-director of its Center for Integral Ecology. A scholar associate of the Society of Catholic Scientists, his research concentrates on the theology of Joseph Ratzinger, creation and ecology, the dialogue between faith and science, and the integration of ancient and modern biblical exegesis.

He has written or contributed to more than 20 books, including Dark Passages of the Bible: Engaging Scripture with Benedict XVI and Thomas Aquinas (CUA Press, 2013), Jesus, Interpreted: Benedict XVI, Bart Ehrman, and the Historical Truth of the Gospels (CUA Press, 2017), The Experiment of Faith: Pope Benedict XVI on Living the Theological Virtues in a Secular Age (CUA Press, 2020), Christ’s Church and World Religions (Sophia Institute Press, 2020), From the Dust of the Earth: Benedict XVI, the Bible, and the Theory of Evolution (CUA Press, 2022), The Essential Guide to Ratzinger: The Man and His Message (OSV, 2025), and Cosmic Covenant: A Catholic Theology of Creation and Communion, forthcoming from Word on Fire Academic.

When he is not teaching or writing, Ramage enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife and seven children, tending his orchard and aspiring to be a barbecue pitmaster. More on his work can be found at his website.

Categories: Faith and Service