Fr. Paolo Gamberini, SJ

Paolo Gamberini was born in Ravenna (Italy) in 1960 and entered the Jesuit Order in 1983. He earned his Master in Philosophy at the Sacred Heart University, in Milan. He studied Theology in Germany (Frankfurt/M and Tübingen) where he received his doctorate at the at the Jesuit School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt, writing a doctoral dissertation on the concept of Analogy in the Theology of the Lutheran theologian – recently deceased – Eberhard Jüngel. He has been working since 1985 in the Ecumenical movement especially with Anglicans and Lutherans. 

From 1992 to 2014, he taught at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy (Naples), and since 2005 he has been Full Professor. His first experience in the USA was at age 16 when he applied for an exchange program, AFS (American Field Service), and he spent one school year in Severna Park, Maryland, living with a Methodist American family, attending the local High School, singing in the Senior Play (Oklahoma!) and going to the Prom in a tuxedo with a Baptist young lady. As a Jesuit, he has been invited to different Jesuit Institutions in the US: Loyola University of Chicago, Holy Cross College (Worcester – MA), Boston College-STM and Jesuit School of Theology (Berkeley, CA). From August 2015 to June 2018, he was Associate Professor at the University of San Francisco.

He is the author of almost one-hundred articles and essays, and a few books, dealing with Systematic theology, Christology, Doctrine of the Trinity, Ecumenical Theology and Spirituality. He has recently published a book by the title: “Deus 2.0. Rethinking the Christian Faith from the Post-Theistic Perspective.” His current research is focused on rethinking the “form” of our Christian faith. His approach can be identified as “trans-disciplinarian” – using Pope Francis’ word: A way to bring together theology, science, and spirituality by means of their reciprocal “osmosis.” 

Such an epistemological approach has transformative consequences for the Christian faith and the way we look at reality. It is a non-dual ontological vision which favors an apophatic understanding of God. In these past twenty years, Fr. Paolo has also been guiding Silent Contemplative Retreats in which elements from Eastern and Western Spirituality have been connected through the lens of Ignatian spirituality. During the pandemic, Fr. Gamberini has offered online seminars to adults in faith, in order to help thinking Catholics and Catholics, dissatisfied with their church, to articulate their faith-vision with the new scientific worldview and other religious paths. He is the holder of the Donald I. MacLean, SJ Chair for the Academic Year 2022-2023.