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Dr. Fáinche Ryan

Associate Professor (School of Religion)
      
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Dr. Fáinche Ryan

Associate Professor (School of Religion)

 faryan@tcd.ie

 


Fáinche Ryan is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity College Dublin and is the current President of the European Society of Catholic Theology. She has served as Director of the Loyola Institute, establishing an MPhil in Christian Theology. She is the current course co-ordinator. Her specific expertise is in the theology of Thomas Aquinas. In contemporary issues such as truth-telling in an age of "post-truth", ecclesial leadership, sensus fidei and synodality, theological anthropology, she brings Aquinas" work to bear as a valuable resource and conversation partner. The development of a module on the theology of the early Irish Church, with particular focus on the theology of the Book of Kells, is a notable innovation to her teaching portfolio. She has played a leading role in the organisation of international conferences in Trinity College, notably The Tasks of Theology in Europe Today (2025), Theology and the University (2023), The Role of the Church in a Pluralist Society (2016). Fainche is frequently asked to contribute by public media, most recently providing expert commentary during the papal conclave (2025). As well as academic work in theology she is regularly invited to talk at diocesan and parish level. She was awarded her doctorate in theology by the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, Rome (2007). This research was subsequently published in the prestigious series of the Thomas Instituut te Utrecht with Peeters, Louvain - Formation in Holiness: Thomas Aquinas on Sacra doctrina. From 2006-2008 she was Director of Teaching and Learning at the Margaret Beaufort Institute, a member of the Cambridge Theological Federation and Affiliated Lecturer at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. In 2008 she took up appointment as lecturer in Theology at the Mater Dei Institute, Dublin City University. In 2013 she took up her appointment at Trinity College Dublin, elected to Fellowship in 2019.
     Church   Eucharistic Theology   Ministry in the Church   Sensus Fidelium   The Virtue of Truth-telling   Theology   Theology of the Book of Kells   Theology of Thomas Aquinas   Women in Leadership
Project Title
 Theology in the University
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Project Title
 Religious Literacy
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Details Date
President of the European Society of Catholic Theology 2025-2027
President of the Irish Theological Association 2012
Invited expert on a Vatican project, Church of the Sheaves, a global initiative of the Dicastery for Evangelization, working in collaboration with a network of Catholic universities across five continents. 2026
Elected President, Irish Section of the European Society for Catholic Theology (ESCT) 2019
External examiner, University of Malta, Faculty of Theology. 2019
Invited member of committee for the state doctoral examination, Faculty of Theology, University of South Bohemia 2023
External examiner for Licentiate dissertation, Pontifical University, Maynooth. 10th December
External Examiner, Carlow College, St Patrick's 2022
Member of the Board of Mount Anville Heart Education Trust 2019
Appointed by the Teaching Council of Ireland as subject assessor in the area of Religious Education 2014
As Irish representative at the European Third Level Network of rectors and deans of Jesuit Universities and Faculties (Kircher Network I attended meetings in Paris (2017), Bilbao (2018) and Innsbruck (2019) 2017
Appointed member of the Academic Council of the Priory Institute, Tallaght, Dublin 2010
Invitation to present a paper to the Christian Theology Seminar, at the Divinity Faculty, Cambridge. Title of presentation: 'Priesthood and Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews: Some Pointers for a Theology of Priesthood today.' March 6
Invited participant at a symposium entitled Factions, Fears, and Fake News. This was organized by the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute and the Heyman Center for the Humanities, Columbia University, New York. 7 November
I am an invited member of the Applied Catholic Social Tradition Network, an international group of scholars focused on the application of Catholic social tradition (CST) to various social problems. In this capacity I have participated in seminars in London and Rome. At the Rome colloquium, entitled, "Enacting Catholic Social Tradition: Making a Difference on the Ground," I gave a paper entitled "Catholic Social Teaching and the Christian Theological Virtue of Hope. January
I was invited to present a paper at a colloquium entitled Aquinas and Analytic Philosophy. My paper was titled "Post-truth in the light of Aquinas analysis of truth-telling (veritas sive veracitas). Other speakers included Prof Eleanore Stump,The Robert J. Henle Professor of Philosophy, Saint Louis University and Prof. Roger Pouivet, Université de Lorraine. 27-28th January
Invited speaker at the Second International Symposium Thomisticum (held in Porto, Portugal, June 2017) and the forthcoming Fourth International Symposium Thomisticum to be held in Rome (July 2019). July
Keynote speaker at the SMA Summer School 2017 - "Faith Responding To Changing Times". My paper was titled "Imbalanced Leadership within the Church". 7-9 July
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
French Fluent Medium Medium
German Basic Basic Basic
Greek Basic Basic Basic
Irish Medium Medium Medium
Italian Fluent Medium Medium
Latin Medium Basic Basic
Details Date From Date To
European Academy of Religion 2018 Present
Irish Theological Association (President 2012-2017) 1998 Present
European Society for Catholic Theology (ESCT)[President Irish Section, 2019-present] 2003 Present
Catholic Theological Association (GB) 2006 2018
Irish Biblical Association 1998 2016
Fáinche Ryan, Formation in Holiness. Thomas Aquinas on Sacra doctrina. , Leuven, Thomas Instituut Utrecht - Peeters , 2007, 1 - 217pp, Book, PUBLISHED
Darwin and Aquinas. Descent with Modification in, editor(s)Louis Caruana , Darwinism and Catholicism. The Past and Present Dynamics of a Cultural Encounter, London/New York, T&T Clark, 2009, pp43 - 59, [Fáinche Ryan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Fainche Ryan, Theology and the University, Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group, 2024, Book, PUBLISHED  DOI
Fainche Ryan, . On Restoring the Centrality of Prudentia (Phronēsis) for Living Well: Pathways and Contemporary Relevance , Religions , 12, (10), 2021, p1 - 19, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
The University: A Refuge of Truth and Truthfulness in, editor(s)Fainche Ryan, Dirk Ansorge, Joseph Quitterer , Theology and the University, London and New York, Routledge, 2024, pp24 - 38, [Fainche Ryan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Special Issue of Religions: "Decision-Making in an Uncertain Time. Should You Always Obey Your Conscience?", (2022), Fainche Ryan, Journal, PUBLISHED
2016 On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine in, editor(s)Cornelius J.Casey, Fáinche Ryan , The Church in Pluralist Society: Social and Political Roles, USA, Notre Dame University Press, 2019, [Fáinche Ryan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
The Quest for Aquinas' Theology of Church: An Ecclesiology sub ratione Dei, in, editor(s)Matthew Levering, Piotr Roszak, Jörgen Vijgen , T&T Clark Handbook of Biblical Thomism, London, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025, [Fainche Ryan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Cornelius J.Casey, Fáinche Ryan eds, The Church in Pluralist Society: Social and Political Roles, USA, Notre Dame University Press, 2019, 1 - 178pp, Book, PUBLISHED
Fáinche Ryan, Holiness as Priesthood, New Blackfriars, 97 , 2016, p173 - 186, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

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Synodality and Co-responsibility in, editor(s)Margit Eckholt , Synodality in Europe, Zurich, Lit Verlag, 2024, pp129 - 144, [Fainche Ryan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Fainche Ryan, Die Prämisse Gott Die Theologie bleibt fundamental für die europäische Identität., Herder Korrespondenz, 80, (1), 2026, p6-, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Le sensus fidei chez Thomas Aquinas : `ils sont tous oints d"une onction invisible" in, editor(s)Paulo Rodrigues , Sensus fidei: écoute de l"Esprit, France, Éditions Parole et Silence, 2026, [Fainche Ryan], Notes: [This publication is the output from an international colloquium on Sensus Fidei], Book Chapter, IN_PRESS
Fáinche Ryan, "Continuity and Radical Discontinuity: Temple Vocabulary and Priestly Ordination", Doctrine and Life, 64, 2014, p22 - 38, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Fainche Ryan, The Complexity of Truth-telling , IV Symposium Thomisticum, Rome, 4th-6th July, 2019, 2019, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Fainche Ryan, Augustine, Aquinas and Lying, Thomas Aquinas and the Church Fathers, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, 4th-6th April, 2019, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Fainche Ryan, Truth, Lies, Violence, European Academy of Religion EuARe , Bologna, 4th-7th March, 2019, 2019, Notes: [Conference: Contribution to a Panel entitled Violence and Grace in the Human Condition], Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Fáinche Ryan, Secrets of an Irish masterpiece - The Book of Kells , The Tablet, 273, (9293), 2019, p4 - 5, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
The Times They Are A-Changin' in, editor(s)John Littleton, Eamon Maher , The Francis Factor. A New Departure, Dublin, Columba Press, 2014, pp125 - 132, [Fáinche Ryan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Fáinche Ryan, On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine: From Newman to Vatican II and Beyond, 106, (423), 2017, p344 - 355, Journal Article, PUBLISHED

  


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Award Date
Fellow of Trinity College Dublin 29th April, 2019
I am an internationally recognised theologian with specific expertise in the theology of Thomas Aquinas, evidenced by acceptance of my paper at the Eleventh International Thomistic Congress (September 2022, Rome). This will be published in the proceedings of the Congress. My research brings Aquinas' philosophical and theological works to bear on contemporary ecclesial and societal concerns. The second key direction of my research concerns church and ministry, with current particular interest in the theme of synodality, the sensus fidei, and the role for women in church leadership. My scholarship on Thomas Aquinas brings an original contribution to these topics. I publish and give talks in these areas both within and outside academia. A third focus of research is truth and truth-telling, a topic with singular relevance to the current political and cultural landscape. My argument is that truth-telling is an integral component within the virtue of justice, and that where truth-telling decays, society decays. My research has been disseminated in keynote papers at international conferences (January 2017, Dublin; June 2017 Porto; January 2019, Cambridge; January 2020, Innsbruck; May 2021, Oxford; September 2022, Rome). A publication emanating from this regards intelligent truth-telling (Aquinas' prudentia) (Religions 2021). In May 2022 I organised an international conference on the role of the university, with particular focus on the role of theology within academia (May 2022). In addition, developing this same topic, I am principal editor of an edited international volume, titled, Theology and the University (Routledge, 2024). As well as editorial material I contributed a chapter titled 'The University: A refuge of truth and truthfulness'. Within this research interest I was led to the work of Thomas Deman, a twentieth century French theologian, little translated into English. In 2022 I published 'Conscience Working within Prudentia. Instructed by Thomas Deman's Reading of Aquinas', Religions, 13. I was awarded a Research Boost fund to visit the Deman archive, University of Fribourg (Summer 2023). I am currently preparing a proposal for a monograph, working title 'Fiat veritas, et pereat mundus: The Complexity of Truth-telling'. T