Faculty Profiles
Dannis Matteson
Visiting Assistant Professor
Religious Studies and Theology
164 Spes Unica Hall
dmatteson@saintmarys.edu
Education
- PhD, Loyola University of Chicago
- MA, Catholic Theological Union at Chicago
- BA, Nazareth College of Rochester, New York
Areas of Expertise
- Feminist Political Ethics
- Political and Liberation Theologies
- Catholic Social Teaching
Research Interests
- The political theology of Dorothee Sölle
- Deconstructing religious and political authoritarianism
- Moral identity formation and solidarity
Courses Recently Taught
- Gender and Religion
- Women and Religion: Feminist and Womanist Theologies
- Christian Ethics
- Christian Theology
- Global Religious Ethics
- Introduction to Religious Studies
- Catholic Faith and Life
Creative and Scholarly Work
Recent Edited Volume:
- The Business of God: Theological and Ethical Reflections on the Church Industrial Complex, co-edited with Sheryl Johnson (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books,
2025).
Recent Articles:
- “Resisting Christofascism Today,” Political Theology Network: Catholic Revisions (September 13, 2024) https://politicaltheology.com/
resisting-christofascism- .today/ - “Hopeless Not Helpless: Young Catholics Face Climate Crisis,” U.S. Catholic (November 22, 2021) https://uscatholic.org/
articles/202111/hopeless-not- .helpless-young-catholics-face- climate-crisis/
Recent Conference Presentations:
- “Creative Disobedience for a US Context,” Conference Presentation, Dorothee Sölle and Feminist Theology Conference, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany (6 February 2026).
- “Church Business?: Exploring the Concept of 'Church Industrial Complex' and its Impact on Diversity and Justice” Panel Presentation, Ecclesiological Investigations, Chicago, IL (28 June 2024).
- “Vulnerability, Integrity, and Ideologies of Security: Womanist and Feminist Approaches for Liberation Movements in the United States,” Panel presentation, Societas Ethica Conference, Zürich, Switzerland (August 2022).
- “From White Guilt to Intentional Action: Deconstructing Roadblocks to White Allyship,” Panel Presentation, Society of Christian Ethics Conference, Washington, DC (January 2019).
- “Digital Activism at the Expense of Humanity? How Digitalized Consumerism Jeopardizes Human Potential for Responsibility and Agency,” Paper Presentation, Societas Ethica Conference, Tützing, Germany (June 2019).
- “The Theopoet(h)ics of Dorothee Sölle,” Paper Presentation, Society of Christian Ethics Conference, Portland, OR (January 2018).
- “Climate Change, ‘Population Dynamics,’ and Family Planning: Ethical Questions Raised by Feminist Scholars and the Catholic Church Alike” Poster Presentation, Climate Justice Conference, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago,
IL (March 2017).
Professional Memberships
- American Academy of Religion
- Societas Ethica
- Society of Christian Ethics
- Interfaith America