Michael Joseph Buckley (October 12, 1931 – July 25, 2019) was an American

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

priest and

philosophical theologian Philosophical theology is both a branch and form of theology in which philosophical methods are used in developing or analyzing theological concepts. It therefore includes natural theology as well as philosophical treatments of orthodox and heter ...

. He was the Bea Professor of Theology at

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mis ...

. He also served as president of the

Catholic Theological Society of America The Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA) is a professional association of Catholic theologians founded in 1946 to promote studies and research in theology within the Catholic tradition. Its members are primarily in the United States and C ...

. Buckley was born on October 12, 1931, in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California, the son of Eleanor (''née'' Fletcher) and colonel Michael Buckley Jr. He graduated from

Bellarmine College Preparatory Bellarmine College Preparatory is an all-male, Jesuit, private secondary school located in San Jose, California. Founded in 1851, it is the oldest secondary school in California and the second-oldest west of the Mississippi River. In 2020, Niche ...

. He studied philosophy at

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) () is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the univ ...

, receiving a BA and MA. He graduated from

with a

Master of Sacred Theology The Master of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Magister; abbreviated STM) is a graduate-level, North American, academic degree in theology equivalent to ThM. The Roman Catholic equivalent is the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). An ho ...

and received a PhD in 1967 from the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

, studying under

Richard McKeon Richard McKeon (; April 26, 1900 – March 31, 1985) was an American philosopher and longtime professor at the University of Chicago. His ideas formed the basis for the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Life, times, and influences McKeo ...

. He received two

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

s. He died on July 25, 2019, in

Los Gatos Los Gatos (, ; ) is an List of municipalities in California, incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located in the San Franci ...

, California.

Publications

*''Motion and Motion's God: Thematic Variations in Aristotle, Cicero, Newton and Hegel'' (Princeton, 1971). *''At the Origins of Modern Atheism'' (Yale, 1987). *''Papal Primacy and the Episcopate: Towards a Relational Understanding'' (Herder, 1998). *''The Catholic University as Promise and Project'' (Georgetown, 1998). *''Denying and Disclosing God: The Ambiguous Progress of Modern Atheism'' (Yale, 2000). *''What Do You Seek? The Questions of Jesus as Challenge and Promise'' (Eerdmans, 2016).

Activities

*President, Catholic Theological Society of America, 1991–1992 *Advisory Committee, Princeton Center of Theological Inquiry, 1999–2000 *Chair, Jesuit International Theological Commission *Executive Director, Committees on Doctrine and Pastoral Research and Practices at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) *Consultant Board Member, Herder/Crossroad Press *Member, Clare Hall, Cambridge University

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, Michael J. 1931 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American Jesuits 20th-century American Roman Catholic theologians 21st-century American Jesuits 21st-century American Roman Catholic theologians Boston College faculty Gonzaga University alumni Santa Clara University alumni Santa Clara University faculty University of Chicago alumni University of Notre Dame faculty Presidents of the Catholic Theological Society of America Bellarmine College Preparatory alumni