New SII Director Embodies Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Ignatian Spirituality
A trained Church historian and newly appointed director of the St. Ignatius Institute, Paul V. Murphy considers himself a Christian humanist who is formed in Ignatian spirituality and deeply committed to the Catholic intellectual tradition.
“I believe that being a Catholic intellectual is a large part of my vocation as a Christian,” he says. “I find that the more that I learn about our traditions, the more intellectually at ease I am with the Church. The more I understand about the Church, the more comfortable I am in my faith.”
At the same time, Murphy says, he is keenly aware of his position as a citizen of the world.
“‘I am a human being,’” he says, quoting and translating from the Latin the Roman playwright Terence, “‘I consider nothing human to be alien from me.’ That’s the way a Christian humanist sees the world. I take it on its own terms. I don’t see the world only through my own religious views. I see the world on its own terms for the sake of enhancing my religious views. My spirituality is very Ignatian: we can find God in all things.”
Questions of religion and faith have intrigued Murphy from the days of his Irish Catholic childhood in Chicago and his academic training at Jesuit universities and the University of Toronto to his present day teaching career at USF and his involvement in St. Ignatius Parish.
His intellectual and spiritual ponderings are sure to continue. In January, USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J., appointed Murphy as the new director of the College of Arts and Sciences’ St. Ignatius Institute. An assistant professor in the department of history since 1997, Murphy is also coordinator of the Catholic Studies certificate program and a member of the SII faculty. The president has asked Murphy to develop SII into the premier Great Books program grounded in Catholic thought in the nation, as well as create a synergistic relationship between the SII and Catholic Studies program in order to strengthen the University’s Catholic identity.
His appointment is not without controversy. Critics say Fr. Privett wants to dismantle the institute, hence the abrupt dismissal of former director John Galten and assistant director John Hamlon. The president denies the claim and says Murphy has the proper academic credentials to lead the St. Ignatius Institute to even greater prominence.
“One of the reasons I began in the institute and took this job at USF was to be a part of Jesuit education,” Murphy says. “We need to enhance the Jesuit Catholic identity of the university. One enhancement is this move. We can achieve more.”
For Murphy, the “more” involves overcoming the divide that has existed between the institute and the general faculty population, advancing the institute into an organization that is eager to engage with the rest of the university, and transforming the program into a “more positive, cooperative model,” he says.
He believes students will benefit most from the improved relationship.
“They will get plenty of good theology and the Great Books,” Murphy says. “However, I believe that we will also serve them well if we encourage them to encounter the diverse schools of thought on this campus. To some this may appear as a challenge to Catholic faith, but it is actually an opportunity to deepen their own faith while engaging in the dialogue between faith and culture that Pope John Paul II himself has encouraged.”
Martin Claussen, an associate professor of history and SII graduate, is confident the institute is in good hands under the direction of Murphy.
“He is eminently qualified,” Claussen said. “He has every hope and plan to maintain the academic integrity of the institute. He understands deeply the Jesuit tradition in education. He is very sympathetic to what the institute tries to do. He works incredibly well with his colleagues, and he is doing a great job in keeping classes going and morale up during the transition. He is a superb choice.”
A popular teacher among students in SII, Murphy’s first teaching experience came in the mid-80s as a lecturer on European History at St. George’s College in Kingston, Jamaica. He is a graduate of the Jesuit Catholic Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., and earned a master’s degree in medieval history from the Jesuit Loyola University, Chicago. After completing a master of divinity at Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., he went on to earn a doctorate in history from the University of Toronto.
As a scholar, he is most interested in the history of the Church and the Renaissance/Reformation. He is currently writing a book on Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga and Catholic Reform in 16th-Century Italy. Often, he can be found in his office, magnifying glass in hand, translating old texts from Italian, Latin, and Spanish. His courses at USF have included European Civilization, The Renaissance, The Reformation, Early Modern Europe, European Expansion: 1450-1750, and an honors course on Renaissance Culture.
At St. Ignatius Parish, located adjacent to the University of San Francisco campus, Murphy serves on the pastoral council. He has been married to Marcia Leous for 10 years. They have three children: 15-month-old Elizabeth, 4-year-old Julia, and 7-year-old Daniel, who attends Star of the Sea Grammar School in San Francisco.
With his academic career on the rise and the presence of a good spiritual and family life, Murphy says many of his colleagues have asked him why he agreed to head the St. Ignatius Institute, a position that places him at the center of controversy, in direct conflict with institute followers who disagreed with the president's decision.
“I think this is an important work for the University and for the Church,” Murphy says. “This will be a stronger program than ever before.”
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