Theology and Spirituality

My theological work explores how the Catholic Church forms mature Christian disciples in an age marked by secularization and disaffiliation. I focus on pastoral theology, parish renewal, and the structures that cultivate belonging, identity, and adult spiritual formation. My aim is to bring theological insight into conversation with the practical realities of ministry and the spiritual needs of young adults.

Drawing on the ancient catechumenate, I study how intentional Christian community—shared prayer, testimony, lectio divina, and liturgical participation—shapes adult faith. My research also engages New Ecclesial Movements, including the spirituality and existential pedagogy of the Neocatechumenal Way, to understand how contemporary forms of Catholic community life can support deeper conversion and personal transformation. Many young adults value community but lack a clear sense of how it forms faith; strengthening these communal practices is essential for renewing Catholic identity today.

My doctoral treatise, That They May Have Life: Existential Catholicism and Adult Faith Formation, examines the rise of religious disaffiliation among young adult Catholics. Through surveys, parish-based workshops, and campus ministry engagement, the project proposes an evangelization model grounded in existential honesty, relational accompaniment, and community-rooted formation. The study highlights the need for approaches that integrate catechesis, spiritual reflection, and authentic Christian community life.

My broader spirituality research draws on the Desert Fathers, Catholic Personalism, and modern Existentialism to address the search for meaning, identity, and purpose in contemporary Catholic life. This work informs my next book project in theology, Get a Life: Catholic Existentialism in the Age of Disaffiliation, which reclaims existential Catholic spirituality as a path toward freedom, responsibility, and deeper communal belonging. The project aims to offer a contemporary Christian response to the anxieties and fragmentation of modern culture.