HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Karen Kilby (born 1964) is an American lay Catholic theologian. She is currently the
Bede Professor of Catholic Theology The Bede Professor of Catholic Theology is a professorship or chair in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. The chair is named after the Venerable Bede and is the first such post at a secular British University. The chair ...
in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University.


Early life and education

Born in England and raised in
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, Kilby graduated with a BA ''Summa Cum Laude'' in Mathematics and Religious Studies from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
in 1986. She also earned a MASt. in Mathematics (
Part III of the Mathematical Tripos Part III of the Mathematical Tripos (officially Master of Mathematics/Master of Advanced Study) is a one-year Masters-level taught course in mathematics offered at the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge. It is regarded as one of the ...
) from the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
(1987) before completing her PhD in Theology at
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
(1994), studying under George Lindbeck (author of the influential The Nature of Doctrine) and
Kathryn Tanner Kathryn Eileen Tanner (born 1957) is an American theologian who serves as Frederick Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School. Biography Born on March 29, 1957, Tanner earned her BA, MA, MPhil, and PhD degrees from Yale ...
(author of Christ the Key). Her thesis focused on the theology of the Catholic theologian
Karl Rahner Karl Rahner (5 March 1904 – 30 March 1984) was a German Jesuit priest and theologian who, alongside Henri de Lubac, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Yves Congar, is considered to be one of the most influential Roman Catholic theologians of ...
: "The ''Vorgriff auf esse'': A study in the relation of philosophy to theology in the thought of Karl Rahner". Kilby is married to John Hunton, professor of Pure Mathematics at Durham University. They have three children.


Career

Between 1994 and 1996, Kilby was a Gifford Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the
University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...
. She taught at the
University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...
from 1998 to 2001 before joining the
University of Nottingham , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...
in 2001 as a lecturer and was promoted to assistant professor and then professor in 2013. She served for 3.5 years as head of the department of Theology and Religious Studies. In January 2014, Kilby was appointed
Bede Professor of Catholic Theology The Bede Professor of Catholic Theology is a professorship or chair in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. The chair is named after the Venerable Bede and is the first such post at a secular British University. The chair ...
at Durham University, thus becoming the second occupant (and first woman) of ‘one of Britain’s most prestigious posts in Catholic academia’. She was President of the Catholic Theological Association of Great Britain between 2010 and 2012 and of the Society for the Study of Theology from 2017 to 2018. Kilby is also an occasional contributor to
The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
,
Commonweal (magazine) ''Commonweal'' is a liberal American journal of opinion, edited and managed by lay Catholics, headquartered in The Interchurch Center in New York City. It is the oldest independent Catholic journal of opinion in the United States. History Fou ...
, and
The Tablet ''The Tablet'' is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Brendan Walsh, previously literary editor and then acting editor, was appointed editor in July 2017. History ''The Tablet'' was launched in 1840 by a Quaker convert ...
. She has been invited to give presentations to internationally established conferences, including the Thomistic Institute ( Angelicum, Rome, in 2021), the Karl Barth Society of North America (
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
, 2019), and LEST XI,
KU Leuven KU Leuven (or Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. It conducts teaching, research, and services in computer science, engineering, natural sciences, theology, humanities, medicine, ...
(2017). Kilby has also given university sermons at the
University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...
, the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
, and the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
, and public lectures in Malta, Leeds, York, and London.


Projects

In the last decade, Kilby has conducted two funded research projects. The first was "Love and Suffering", conducted in partnership with the Sisters of the Congregation of La Retraite (2015–18). Her current project, co-led with Clare Carlisle ( King's College London), is "Phenomenology of Theological: Modelling Enquiry and Poesis" (2022-2023). It is part of ''Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology'', an international initiative led by Prof. Judith Wolfe and funded by the Templeton Religion Trust.


Outreach

The
Bede Professor of Catholic Theology The Bede Professor of Catholic Theology is a professorship or chair in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. The chair is named after the Venerable Bede and is the first such post at a secular British University. The chair ...
is the first endowed chair of Catholic theology in a secular British university. The holder of the Bede Chair serves as theological adviser to the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. Kilby’s engagement has included work at the local diocesan and national levels.   At the local level, this has included involvement in the Core Group for Diocesan Synod, work as theological consultant to Hexham and Newcastle’s ''Forward Together in Hope'' project, as well as speaking to groups of clergy, diocesan festivals, and in a variety of parishes around the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. At the national level, Kilby is a Trustee of
CAFOD The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) is an international development charity and the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It aims to tackle poverty globally. Through local Catholic Church and secular pa ...
and member of its Theological Reference Group. She is also a member of the Theological Retreat Group for the Archbishop of Canterbury, and has served as a consultant to the
Saint Vincent de Paul society The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor. Innumerable Catholic parishes have ...
. Her outreach has also included lectures to the conferences of Catholic University chaplains (2015), of Catholic Retreat Leaders/Spiritual Directors (2016), of Passionist priests and sisters (2019), and of Catholic Prison Chaplains (2021). She has been involved in designing and directing a new online course for distance learning MA in Catholic theology at Durham University.


Theological contribution

Kilby’s theological contribution lies primarily within the discipline of
systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topic ...
. She has written about the
Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...
, with a noted critique of Social Trinitarianism..She is also known for her writings on two major Twentieth century Catholic theologians
Karl Rahner Karl Rahner (5 March 1904 – 30 March 1984) was a German Jesuit priest and theologian who, alongside Henri de Lubac, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Yves Congar, is considered to be one of the most influential Roman Catholic theologians of ...
and
Hans Urs von Balthasar Hans Urs von Balthasar (12 August 1905 – 26 June 1988) was a Swiss theologian and Catholic priest who is considered an important Catholic theologian of the 20th century. He was announced as his choice to become a cardinal by Pope John Paul II, b ...
. More recently, she has contributed to pioneering theological reflection on suffering and evil in Christian theology. Kilby’s work raises key questions regarding the role of mystery in theology as well as the purpose and limits of theology as a discipline.


Works


Monographs

* * * *


Co-edited volumes

* Ian A. McFarland , David A. S. Fergusson, Karen Kilby, Iain R. Torrance, ''The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology,'' Cambridge University Press, 2011. * Simon Oliver, Karen Kilby and Tom O’Loughlin (eds), Faithful Reading: New Essays in Theology in Honour of Fergus Kerr, OP. T+T Clark, 2013.   * Karen Kilby and Rachel Davies, eds, Suffering and the Christian Life (Bloomsbury T+T Clark, 2019)


Chapters in co-edited volumes

* "Balthasar and Karl Rahner’, in The Cambridge Companion to Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Edward T. Oakes, S. J., and David Moss (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2004. * "Rahner", in The Modern Theologians: An introduction to modern theology since 1918, David Ford and Rachel Muers, Blackwell Publications, 2005 (3rd Edition). * "Rahner", In The Blackwell Companion to Modern Theology, Gareth Jones (ed.), Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. * "Hans Urs von Balthasar on the Trinity, The Cambridge Companion to the Trinity, Peter C. Phan (ed.), Cambridge University Press, 2011. * "Seeking Clarity." In the Routledge Companion to the Practice of Christian Theology. Higton, Mike & Fodor, Jim Routledge, 2014. * "Trinity and Politics: An Apophatic Approach". In Advancing Trinitarian Theology: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics. Crisp, Oliver & Sanders, Fred Zondervan, 2014. * "Christian Theology, Anti-Liberalism, and Modern Jewish Thought." In Judaism in Contemporary Thought: Traces and Influence. Bielik-Robson, Agata & Lipszyc, Adam, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2014. * "Responsible, Critical Assent." In Towards a Kenotic Vision of Authority in the Catholic Church. Carroll, Anthony, Kerkwijk, Marthe Kirwan, Michael & Sweeney,James Council for Research and Values in Philosophy, 2015. * "Philosophy." In The Cambridge Companion to TheSumma Theologiae. McCosker, Philip & Turner, Denys Cambridge University Press, 2016. * "Trinity, Tradition and Politics". In Recent Developments in Trinitarian Theology: an International Symposium. Chalamet, C & Vial, M Fortress Press. 73-86. * "Eschatology, Suffering and the Limits of Theology." In Game Over? Reconsidering Eschatology. Chalamet,Christophe, Dettwiler, Andreas Mazzocco,Mariel & Waterlot, Ghislain Berlin: De Gruyter., 2017. * “The Seductions of Kenosis” in Karen Kilby and Rachel Davies, Suffering and the Christian Life'','' Bloomsbury T+T Clark, 2019. * ‘Catholicism, Protestantism and the Theological Location of Paradox: Nature, Grace, Sin’, in Peter de Mey and Wim Francois (eds), ''Ecclesia Semper Reformanda: Renewal and Reform Beyond Polemics'' (Leuven: Peeters, 2020). * Matthew Ashley and Karen Kilby, ‘What Difference Does Grace Make? An Exploration of the Concept of Grace in the Theological Anthropology of Karl Rahner’ in Theology and Evolutionary Anthropology: Dialogues in Wisdom, Humility and Grace, Celia Deane-Drummond and Agustín Fuentes (eds.), London: Routledge, 2020. * “Sin and Suffering Reconsidered” in The Human in a Dehumanizing World: Re-Examining Theological Anthropology and Its Implications, edited by Jessica Coblentz and Daniel P. Horan, OFM, (eds.) Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2022. * ‘Letter to a Young Theologian’ in Letters to a Young Theologian, Henco Van Der Westhuizen (ed.), Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2021).


Journal articles

* “Perichoresis and Projection: Problems with Social Doctrines of the Trinity”, ''New Blackfriars'' 81 (2000): 432–45. * “Evil and the limits of theology”, ''New Blackfriars'' 84 (2003): 13–29. * “Aquinas, the Trinity and the Limits of Understanding”, ''International Journal of Systematic Theology'' 7 (2005): 414–27. * “Karl Rahner’s Ecclesiology”, New Blackfriars, Vol. 90 No. 1026 (March 2009), 188-200. * “Is an Apophatic Trinitarianism Possible?”, ''International Journal of Systematic Theology'' 12 (2010): 65–77. * “Beauty and Mystery in Mathematics and Theology”, ''Imaginatio et Ratio'' 2 (2013): 3–14. * “Julian of Norwich, Hans Urs von Baltthasar, and the Status of Suffering in Christian Theology”, ''New Blackfriars'' 99 (2018): 298–311.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilby, Karen 1964 births 21st-century American theologians American Christian theologians Living people Systematic theologians Women Christian theologians Yale College alumni Yale Divinity School alumni Academics of Durham University