John Joseph Powell (September 22, 1925September 24, 2009) was a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

and author, and brother of Rita Donlan and William Powell. He received elementary-school education at the

John B. Murphy John Benjamin Murphy, born John Murphy (December 21, 1857 – August 11, 1916) was an American physician and abdominal surgeon noted for advocating early surgical intervention in appendicitis appendectomy, and several eponyms: Murphy’s button, ...

public school in Chicago. In June 1943, Powell graduated from the

Loyola Academy Loyola Academy is a private, Catholic, co-educational college preparatory high school run by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, and in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago ...

in Chicago. In August 1943, he entered the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

Milford, Ohio Milford is a city in Clermont and Hamilton counties founded in 1796, in the U.S. state of Ohio, along the Little Miami River and its East Fork in the southwestern part of the state. It is a part of the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area. The po ...

. In the fall of 1947, he began a three-year course in philosophy at

West Baden College The West Baden Springs Hotel, formerly known as the West Baden Inn, is part of the French Lick Resort and is a national historic landmark hotel in West Baden Springs, Orange County, Indiana. It is known for the dome covering its atrium. Prior t ...

, and enrolled in Loyola University, where he took a Bachelor of Arts degree the following June. He began graduate work at Loyola in 1948 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1956. Powell worked at West Baden University (1961-1965), the Bellarmine School of Theology of Loyola University (1965-1968) and Loyola University (1968-2001), where he became an associate professor of

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

. Powell was a proponent of

humanistic Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

Catholicism and wrote many books mostly dealing with psychology and

Catholic theology Catholic theology is the understanding of Catholic doctrine or teachings, and results from the studies of theologians. It is based on canonical scripture, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by the magisterium of the Catholic ...

, and conducted spiritual retreats along with his counseling work. He later retired in Michigan and allegedly died with Alzheimer's disease. Powell was accused of abusing of at least seven female students in the 1960s and 1970s. He was first sued in 2003 and again in 2006. Six of his alleged victims settled their litigation with the Jesuits in 2005. .Guitierez, Theresa
Gutierrez Settlement Reached
from ABC7

Publications

*''Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am?'' *''Why Am I Afraid to Love?'' *''The Secret of Staying in Love'' *''Unconditional love'' *''Fully human, fully alive: A new life through a new vision'' *''He Touched Me - My Pilgrimage of Prayer'' *''Will the Real Me Please Stand Up?: 25 Guidelines for Good Communication'' *''A Reason to Live! A Reason to Die!'' *''Abortion the Silent Holocaust'' (1981) *''Happiness Is an Inside Job'' (1989)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, John 1925 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American Jesuits 21st-century American Jesuits American theologians 20th-century American psychologists Loyola University Chicago alumni