Faculty Profile: Michael Canaris

We are happy to announce that Dr. Michael Canaris has joined our faculty and will begin teaching classes this upcoming fall semester!

Canaris already has some great ideas and a lot of knowledge to offer our students. Moreover, he is eager to not only instruct them, but also to learn from them.

“I’m excited to teach not only the Church and Mission class, but related topics like hermeneutics, ecumenism, the theology of immigration, and the interpretation of Vatican II. I’ve also had wonderful experiences with a Theology of Hell class I designed (using Dante, Sartre, C.S. Lewis, Rahner/von Balthasar, etc.) and am currently trying to develop one on the Theology of Bergoglio/Francis, which will obviously include elements of his Ignatian spirituality. I’m hoping these may interest both administration and students at Loyola down the line. The pope’s recent call for theologians, and not just bishops, to have the ‘smell of their sheep’ has really resonated with me as I take up this position.”

Canaris is a valuable resource for IPS and we encourage students to reach out to him with any questions, help or just to say welcome to IPS.

Read his Q&A below to get to know more about Canaris and his different teachings, life lessons and some interesting facts you would not expect.

How did you feel when you were offered the position at IPS?
I spent fifteen years on Jesuit campuses, both as a student and teaching, and then the last few abroad in the UK and Rome, at universities which were not in that network. And while I love those international experiences and have developed some amazing friends, colleagues, and expanded horizons through them, my first instinct when I was offered the position was one of homecoming. That may sound strange, as I’m from the East Coast originally and have only visited Chicago without ever living there, but there was this overwhelming sense of returning to my roots and somehow being welcomed home by members of my Ignatian/AJCU family once again that went much deeper than just being back on American soil.

What are you looking forward to the most about teaching at IPS, and what are you looking forward to accomplishing while at IPS?
More than anything I’m excited about interacting with the students. Of course, the research facilities and institutional support for scholarship at a place like Loyola are unrivaled. But IPS offers such a unique environment for theologians and experts in various disciplines, where we as faculty members can help with formation of those who will be on the frontlines of the encounter between the church and the contemporary world. I honestly believe it’s a place where the faculty likely learn as much from the life experiences of our students as we can teach them. I’ve always been committed to viewing pedagogy as a sort of “co-traveling” toward wisdom and holistic learning. Loyola IPS seems a truly remarkable place for this type of exchange to take place.

What challenges do you foresee and how will you prepare for them? 
I have some experience teaching non-traditional students at various stops, both in America and at the Pontifical Beda College for second-career seminarians in Rome. I’m excited to broaden my perspectives teaching such a wide range of students as constitute the IPS, not only in terms of religious and denominational backgrounds, but especially those who for the most part differ markedly from 18-22 year-old traditional undergrads. There will undoubtedly be some challenges involved in planning successful classes and discussions in this new setting, but ones I feel confident, prepared and excited to find innovative techniques through which to foster transformational learning.

What can students expect when taking your classes, and what do you hope that they take away from your teachings?
Three themes from my own Jesuit education form the pillars of my approach to teaching: cura personalis, eloquentia perfecta, and seeking to become together “men and women for others.” Briefly for this setting: the first means my students will always be my main priority and I will always be accessible to them to help them grow holistically – whether it be intellectually, spiritually, socially, etc. The second demonstrates my conviction that it’s important not only to wrestle with the “big” questions in life about meaning, value, purpose, vocation, what it means to live a successful life, and the like, but also to develop skill sets for being able to articulate this beneficial wrestling clearly and convincingly to the church, academy and world. The last emphasizes the idea that neither theology/mission, nor any of the gifts we are given, are ultimately for our own advancement, but rather to serve our brothers and sisters in the human race, and the divine or transcendent however we come to name that reality in our lives.

Do you have a mentor or an experience in your life that helped shape who you are today? 
Whenever I stop to reflect on this, it honestly floors me how blessed I have been with almost mind-boggling mentors in the steps along my academic and spiritual journey. A question like this is difficult to answer without sounding like you are name-dropping! But, I’m also delighted to give credit where it is due. Brad Hinze, Paul Lakeland, Rick Ryscavage, and Beth Johnson have all been so supportive of my work and influential in my intellectual development. And Paul Murray at Durham University and I remain very close, in a friendship that transcends merely professional or academic interests at this point. However, my time spent studying under Francis A. Sullivan and then working for Avery Cardinal Dulles for five years, including not only assisting the latter with research and publishing, but also providing palliative care for him in his last days when he was suffering tremendously from post-polio syndrome, were probably the most formative experiences for me as a theologian.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time outside of the classroom?
I love all things Italian: culture, food, art, etc. I have been lucky to spend a lot of time there, as well as on the Spanish island of Mallorca, where I often visit in the summer months with friends who are at this point like family. I studied sports-journalism for a few years before theology, so I still love sports and am excited to adopt everything about life in Chicago – short of betraying my Eagles and Phillies.

Any fun facts about yourself or interesting story you wish to share?
My father was a federal agent who led the protection details for cabinet members and on many presidential trips across seven administrations. My mother was a teacher and substance abuse coordinator for a school district. My students always seem interested in that. I also have a very close friend who is a writer and producer for the TV show “Scandal.”

 

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