Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026
Journey to Easter – Who Will You Become? Writing the book on Ignatian Discernment and Marquette’s Foundations in Theology Course
Many Marquette alumni remember their experiences studying Theology and other liberal arts courses as transformative opportunities to think critically and deepen their faith. Today, undergraduates gain similar experiences through an introductory Theology class based on the book Who Will You Become? An Ignatian Introduction to Catholic Theology, designed to encourage them to think deeply and reflect on meaningful, formative questions. Join co-authors Marquette Chair of Theology Rev. Ryan Duns, S.J., Ph.D., and Associate Professor Conor Kelly, Ph.D., to learn about the process of writing their book, their teaching experiences and key ways they engage students in the course. This session will also feature an opportunity to reflect through an Examen led by the presenters.
Rev. Ryan Duns, S.J., Ph.D., Department Chair and Associate Professor, Theology Department, Marquette University
Ryan Duns, S.J. is a Jesuit priest and theologian who works at the intersection of philosophy and systematic theology. He has published on major figures such as Karl Rahner, Jean-Luc Marion, and René Girard, and his recent scholarship has focused on William Desmond’s metaphysics and its relevance for questions of transcendence in a secular age. His monograph, Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age? Desmond and the Quest for God, argued that when read as a form of spiritual exercise (in the sense developed by Pierre Hadot), Desmond’s philosophy can reawaken a sense of the Transcendent. He is the author of Theology of Horror: The Hidden Depths of Popular Films, which explores how horror movies can open us to deeper theological questions, and co-author with Conor Kelly of Who Will You Become? An Ignatian Introduction to Catholic Theology, a book that introduces Catholic theology through the lens of Ignatian spirituality and the question of personal transformation.
Conor M. Kelly, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Theology and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Marquette University
Conor M. Kelly is a Marquette professor and Catholic theological ethicist whose research and teaching focus on moral discernment in ordinary life. He specializes in Catholic social thought, health care ethics and the theology of Catholic higher education. He is the author of The Fullness of Free Time: A Theological Account of Leisure and Recreation in the Moral Life (2020); Racism and Structural Sin (2023). He also coedited Poverty: Responding Like Jesus (2018) with Kenneth R. Himes and The Moral Vision of Pope Francis: Expanding the US Reception of the First Jesuit Pope (2024) with Kristin E. Heyer. His academic articles have appeared in Theological Studies, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, Journal of Catholic Social Thought and Journal of Catholic Higher Education, among other venues.
