Joseph Nguyen, S.J.

Joseph Nguyen, S.J. is an associate professor of systematic theology and Christian spirituality in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. He is a Jesuit priest of the U.S. West Province of the Society of Jesus. Professor Nguyen teaches courses in Catholic Christian theology, including: Catholic Thought, Christology, Mystery of God and the Human Person, Ignatian spirituality, and Christian-Zen spirituality. His research focuses on Christian spirituality with an emphasis on Ignatian spirituality, and Buddhist-Christian dialogue.

Professor Nguyen received a doctorate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in 2015; his dissertation focused on the theology of divine union in Maximus the Confessor and Ignatius of Loyola.

In his book, Apatheia in the Christian Tradition: An Ancient Spirituality and Its Contemporary Relevance (Cascade Books, 2018), he explores the ancient concept of apatheia by tracing its roots in the Stoics and the desert monks.

• Ignatian spirituality

• Christian spirituality
• Ignatian spirituality
• Buddhist-Christian dialogue

• Associate Director of Catholic Studies Program
• Faculty Advisor, Alpha Sigma Nu

• Santa Clara University, S.T.D.
• Boston College, S.T.L.
• Boston College, MDiv.
• Saint Louis University, MA in Philosophy
• Saint Louis University, BA in Philosophy

• Lecturer of Religious Studies, Gonzaga University
• Instructor of Philosophy, Gonzaga University
• Teacher of Religion, Seattle Preparatory School

• Christian Contemplation: Theological Foundations and Contemporary Practice. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2020.

• Apatheia in the Christian Tradition: An Ancient Spirituality and Its Contemporary Relevance. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2018.

• “Dying, Death, and the Afterlife: An Analysis and Comparison of Karl Rahner and the Dalai Lama,” Journal of Buddhist-Christian Studies, vol. 45 (2025): 189-204.
• “Consolation without Previous Cause in Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises and Zen Satori,” Journal of Buddhist-Christian Studies, Vol. 43 (2023): 51-70.
• “Karl Rahner and His Theology,” Hop Tuyen Than Hoc [Theological Digest: A Journal of the Jesuits in Vietnam] 33, no. 54 (2023): 17-44.