Wow! I can't believe it has been almost 2 years since I last posted. I had not realized how long it had been. I thought a little over a year perhaps, but not two.
The reasons are varied. The number one issue is simply that I've been very busy (read further for details). I also hadn't quite got the readership I had hoped for, or the 'support' base that could suffice to justify it. I sincerely thank and appreciate those few of you who did donate to the cause! I apologize most of all to you for the lack of continual content on here, a significant number of which donated based on my YouTube Channel rather than my blog, which led me to focus on that instead.
So what have I been up to since then? Well, a lot! I finally finished my doctoral dissertation on Ratzinger's Theology of Divine Revelation. I successfully defended in January 2021, so I am now Dr. Richard DeClue.
One month before that, December 1, 2020, I accepted a new position as the Cardinal Henri de Lubac Fellow of Theology for the Word on Fire Institute! That was a great blessing that was completely unexpected. While the job requires an eventual move to TX (from South Carolina), it has been a true privilege to work for them. I have phenomenal co-workers with whom I have many deep discussions on a wide variety of topics. It's very intellectually stimulating.
The job has opened up several opportunities to be interviewed on multiple media/social media outlets. I've done interviews on YouTube & Podcasts for Reason & Theology, Gospel Simplicity, Friends of God Institute, The Meaning of Catholic, The Cordial Catholic, SmartCatholics, Timothy Gordon, Catholic Culture Podcast, The Logos Project, and--of course--The Word on Fire Institute, in addition to my own YouTube Channel, "DeClue's Views." Topics have ranged from Vatican II, Henri de Lubac, Nouvelle Théologie (an appellation I despise), Catholic Social Teaching, Eschatology, Eucharistic Ecclesiology, and more. (See links below.) I was also interviewed on the Katie McGrady Show on Sirius XM 129. I have many more in the lineup as well, including one on Dr. Larry Chapp's Podcast/YouTube Channel. Hopefully access to these resources will make up for my inexcusable absence from this blog. I hope you'll consider checking out this content, as I think the content will be extremely interesting to you.
Relatedly, I have had the privilege of engaging with first-rate scholars such as Dr. Matthew Minerd and Dr. Larry Chapp. My conversations with them have bolstered my own understanding of things philosophical and theological. They're a real blessing to me.
For those interested, I have also created content for the Word on Fire Institute. I highly recommend becoming a member. You get a lot of bang for your buck, as the saying goes. Not only do you get access to a number of online courses from top-rate educators, you also get a beautiful quarterly journal, Evangelization & Culture, and free access to Word on Fire Digital, which includes Bishop Barron's famous Catholicism Series and many other wonderful resources. Click here for the main website: https://wordonfire.institute/
I don't mean that as a commercial. I do actually think it is a great investment. In addition to the Courses, Journal, and Digital resources, Institute members get ongoing access to special events that are only available for a limited time to non-members, such as our Vatican II Reading Challenge series, and our Faith & Science Summit videos sponsored by the Templeton Foundation. For that Summit, I gave a lecture on the History of the Catholic Church & Science. I also interviewed Dr. Jonathan Lunine, a professor at Cornell University. We had no less than three Ivy League Scientists who are faithful Catholics in that series. It was phenomenal, and there is more to come!
In fact, as the Chair of the Curriculum & Formation Committee, I've been able to work with several other WOF fellows and staff to come up with plans for future courses as well as to arrange our course lineup in a more logically ordered system. The WOF Institute is doing fantastic work that would be a great resource for anyone wishing to advance in their faith and in their ability to evangelize others more effectively.
Additionally, WOF has allowed me to start writing a book on the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger). It aims to be more comprehensive and cohesive than the current secondary literature books available on his thought. I am thoroughly enjoying the process of writing this book, which has been a long-desired goal of mine.
I also have an article on Eschatology called, "The Last Things First," in an upcoming issue of Evangelization & Culture (again, free for Institute Members). I mentioned it before, but let me elaborate: it is a stunningly beautiful journal with a gorgeous layout and solid, edifying content.
Recently, my colleague, Robert Mixa, initiated a new "Word from the Fellows" series available to Institute members as well. I wrote an early entry for that project. The title is "Tied Up with Strings: A Christmas Reflection on the Material World."
Additionally, I have other projects for the WOFI that will release sometime soon (hopefully this Spring). I have the second Reading Challenge series, this time on the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. It will be available for anyone for a time and then permanently for Institute members. Our Production team in California also filmed my six-part series on Vatican II, called "Authority & Continuity" that will release on YouTube. Their expertise made me look even better than I am. Their set design and filmography amplified my work tremendously. In that series, I cover significant topics in the Second Vatican Council thematically. Rather than going through the documents text by text, I take you through the logic of the Council's work topically, drawing from multiple texts in each video to show you the inner coherence and logic of the various doctrines. I address several 'controversial' teachings via explanations that help you understand them more fully and accurately.
Let me again apologize for the long delay in posting. I do hope these resources will help fill in the gap my blog post absences have left. If I get a significant response, I will be encouraged to post more regularly here. If not, my work will be available through the Institute.
I want to conclude with a special thanks to the very select few subscribers who have continued to support me during this time. It is primarily out of gratitude for you that I felt compelled to offer this post in explanation for my absence. Your support is deeply appreciated!
For links to my YouTube Channel and other interviews I've given, see these following links:
If you are so inclined, feel free to donate to my efforts via the donorbox link here:
Yours in Christ,
Dr. Richard DeClue