Dr. Carolyn Chau

Associate Professor

Phone: 4362
Email: cchau33@uwo.ca

Education

• Ph.D. University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto
• M.Div. Yale Divinity School
• M.A. (Philosophy) McMaster University
• B.A. Hon. (Philosophy) McMaster University

Teaching

• Religious Studies 2132: Contemporary Moral Problems
• Religious Studies 2207E: Catholic Morality
• Religious Studies 2271F: Why the Church?
• Religious Studies 2352G: Rome and the Christian Tradition
• Religious Studies 3300G: Basic Issues in Religion

Research

Professor Chau’s research examines the shape of contemporary Catholic witness and mission in secular cultures such as that of Canada.  Her book, "Solidarity With the World: Charles Taylor and Hans Urs von Balthasar on Faith, Modernity, and Catholic Mission" (Cascade Books, 2016) mines 20th century philosophy and theology for the question of dynamic and attractive Christian witness in 'post-Christian' cultures.  She is currently working on a second monograph on Catholic Christian ethics and has recently completed articles on the legacy of Vatican II, Asian theology and the Catholic community, and peacemaking and social innovation in Christian faith-based communities such as Taizé and L’Arche.

Dr. Chau is the Director of the Centre for Advanced Research in Catholic Thought at King’s and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics and the Journal of Moral Theology.

Selected Publications

“Hans Urs von Balthasar and Joseph Ratzinger” in The Oxford Handbook of Hans Urs von Balthasar (Oxford: Oxford University Press), Forthcoming.

“The Ways of Perishing and the Practices of Hope” in Hope Today (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Press, 2023).  

“Nearness and Distance: The Paradox of Holy Intimacy in the Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar” in Faith, Reason, Theosis, edited by Aristotle Papanikolaou and George Demacopoulos (New York: Fordham University Press, 2023). 

 “The Dramatic, Christological, Missional Anthropology of Hans Urs von Balthasar” in The T & T Clark Handbook of Theological Anthropology, edited by Mary Ann Hinsdale, Stephen Okey (New York: Bloomsbury, 2021). 

 “The Church: Mission-Led Ecclesiology for Today” in Christian Mission, Contextual Theology, Prophetic Dialogue: Essays in Honor of Stephen B. Bevans, S.V.D., edited by Peter Phan and Dave Irwin (New York: Orbis Books, 2020).

Solidarity With the World: Charles Taylor and Hans Urs von Balthasar on Faith, Modernity, and Catholic Mission, Cascade Press, 2016

"Mission After Marion?", New Blackfriars, July 2016.

“Religion and Justice: The Faith-based Intercultural Peacemaking of L’Arche and the Community of Taize”, The Way, July 2015

“Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Conciliar Legacy” in The Newman Rambler, McGill University, April 2015.

“Asian Theology and the Catholic Community” in New Theology Review, Catholic Theological Union, April 2015.

“ ‘What Could Possibly Be Given?’: Towards an Exploration of Kenosis as Forgiveness – Continuing the Conversation Between Coakley, Hampson, and Papanikolaou”.  Modern Theology, January 2012.

“Cultural Artisanry and Liturgical Imagination: The Contributions of Charles Taylor, William Cavanaugh, and John Paul II to the Retrieval of Time in God”.  Journal of the Canadian Chapter Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.  Fall 2011.

Selected Presentations

“Whither Justice and Religion?  The Faith-based Intercultural Peace-making of L’Arche and the Community of Taizé” at ‘Religions and Social Innovations’, University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, ON, October 2013.

“Culture, Justice, and the Gift of the World Church” at ‘New Wine, New Wineskins’, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, July 2013.

“Particularity, Wholes, and Catholicity Today: the Contribution of Charles Taylor to the Hermeneutics of Intercultural Dialogue” at ‘World Catholicism Week’, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, April 2011.

“Reframing the Picture: Reconsidering Religious Freedom in Canada through the Optic of Charles Taylor's 'A Secular Age'” at ‘Religion and Public Life Conference’, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Spring 2010.

“Aggiornamento Today: Faithfulness to the World through the Radical Particularity of Christocentric Ecclesiology - Mining the Ecclesiological Insights of G. Lindbeck and J. Cardinal Ratzinger” at ‘Anniversary Conference for Toronto School of Theology’, Toronto School of Theology, Toronto, ON, Spring 2010.

“Time in God: Imaginaries, Imagination, and the Artisanry of Culture” at American Academy of Religion East Annual Meeting, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Spring 2008.      

“Epiphanies of Taylor: Towards a Philosophical Space for Faith in Late Modernity”, at ‘Refractions of Modernity: Contributions of Charles Taylor to Social and Political Thought, Philosophy, Ethics, Spirituality, and Religion’, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Fall 2006.