Fr. Buckley Spreads the Message of Theology
Among the many lessons learned by Francis Buckley, S.J. during his 40 years of teaching at USF is this: “I began by teaching theology, then I learned how to teach students, now the students teach me.”
Fr. Buckley laughs as he recites his motto but insists it is true.
“Working at USF is exciting because I am engaging in a dialogue with people from all kinds of backgrounds,” he said. “The students come from a wide variety of cultures, religions, and traditions. Here at USF, diversity is central to the learning process. And that’s not because it happens to be fashionable now, but because it is precisely what makes the university Catholic. We listen to others and we learn from them.”
Fr. Buckley is a Southern California native who knew early on that his path in life would lead to the Society of Jesus.
“I was convinced that Jesus wanted me to be a Jesuit,” Fr. Buckley said. “I told my dad that when I was in high school, and he said ‘No way, you have to go to college.’”
So Fr. Buckley went off to the University of Notre Dame, where within three days of arriving he was singing in the glee club, coaching swimming, and even running a campus dating service. He attended Notre Dame for three semesters before answering his calling by joining the Jesuits.
Fr. Buckley studied in Rome at the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Gregorian University in the early 1960s during the time of the Second Vatican Council, which became the symbol of the Catholic Church’s openness to the modern world. This experience greatly influenced his theological perspective.
“He was the first to apply the ideas from the Second Vatican Council here at USF,” said Daniel Kendall, S.J., chair of the theology and religious studies department.
On campus, the sprightly Fr. Buckley is known by fellow Jesuits, staff, and students for his wit and dedication to advancing the study of theology. He is perhaps the most well published member of the USF faculty, with more than 110 books and articles to his name. He also is one of the longest-tenured professors in the theology and religious studies department.
“He’s one of the founding fathers of our master’s program,” Fr. Kendall said. Fr. Buckley is presently professor of systematic and pastoral theology.
When Fr. Buckley is not teaching or writing, he is working on his personal Web site, which includes animation and many of his writings. He has hired a student to work with him on the project, and several volunteers have also signed on to help.
“The computer age has developed a new language, which cuts across existing linguistic and ethnic barriers to communicate religious insights,” Fr. Buckley says. His Web site address is www.usfca.edu/GOODNEWS.
With more than 40 years of teaching behind him and more than 100 books and one website to his name, Fr. Buckley continues to be moved by the opportunity to work at USF.
“What inspires me are the students and the ideas,” he said. “I do all of this simply because I love ideas and I love to share ideas.”
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