Matthew Lewis Sutton

Associate Professor

St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Ph.D., 2007, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, Catholic Systematic TheologyM.A., 2002, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, Systematic TheologyB.A., 1999, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) , Rome, Italy, Catholic Studies, Theology, and Philosophy

Matthew L. Sutton, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, earned his doctorate in Religious Studies with a specialization in Catholic Systematic Theology from Marquette University. He joined St. John's University Department of Theology and Religious Studies in 2008 and teaches courses in Christology, Trinitarian Theology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, and Christian Spirituality.

His research interests include integrating the valuable content of Mystical Theology with Catholic Systematic Theology and researching the theologies of Adrienne von Speyr and Hans Urs von Balthasar. He has published articles on the theologies of Karl Rahner, Maurice de la Taille, Adrienne von Speyr, and Hans Urs von Balthasar in New Blackfriars and International Journal of Systematic Theology. His most recent article published in New Blackfriars is "Hans Urs von Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr's Ecclesial Relationship." He has co-edited a book with Inter-Disciplinary Press called On Suffering: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue on Narrative and Making Sense of Suffering. He has another co-edited book available soon with Orbis Press called Handing on the Faith. Available now is his major work on the thought of Adrienne von Speyr published by Fortress Press titled Heaven Opens: The Trinitarian Mysticism of Adrienne von Speyr. Currently, he is working on a book on Hans Urs von Balthasar's Trinitarian theology and the theology of Holy Saturday in dialogue with postmodernism called God Alone: A Theology of Compassion, available soon.

He has also participated in St. John's University's Faculty-In-Residence program at the Henley Road student residence.

Single-Author Volume

Heaven Opens: The Trinitarian Mysticism of Adrienne von Speyr (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014)

God Alone: A Theology of Compassion (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, forthcoming)

Edited Volumes

Handing on the Faith, eds. Matthew Lewis Sutton and William Portier (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2014)

On Suffering: An Inter-Disciplinary Dialogue on Narrative and the Meaning of Suffering, eds. Matthew Lewis Sutton and Nate Hinerman (Oxford, United Kingdom: Inter-Disciplinary Press, 2012)

Published Articles

“Retrieval of Fatherhood through a Retrieval of Faith in God the Father,” in Life and Learning XIX: Proceedings of the Nineteenth University Faculty for Life Conference, ed. Joseph Koterski (New York: University Faculty for Life, 2013), pgs. 191-203

“Hans Urs von Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr’s Ecclesial Relationship,” New Blackfriars 94 (2013): 50-63

“A Compelling Trinitarian Taxonomy: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Theology of the Trinitarian Inversion and Reversion,” International Journal of Systematic Theology 14 (2012): 161-176

“Does God Suffering?: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Theology of Holy Saturday,” in On Suffering: An Inter-Disciplinary Dialogue on Narrative and the Meaning of Suffering, eds. Matthew Lewis Sutton and Nate Hinerman (Oxford, United Kingdom: Inter-Disciplinary Press, 2012), pgs. 171-183

“Does God Suffer?: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Theology of Holy Saturday,” in Making Sense of Suffering: Theory, Practice, Representation, ed. Bev Hogue and Anna Sugiyama, eBook (Oxford, United Kingdom: Inter-Disciplinary.Net Press, 2011), pgs. 31-39

“Life is Beautiful: A Theological-Aesthetic Argument for Life,” Life and Learning Conference XVIII Proceedings of the University Faculty for Life, ed. Joseph Koterski (New York: University Faculty for Life, 2011), p. 309-322

“Life is Beautiful: A Theological-Aesthetic Argument for Life,” University of St. Thomas Journal of Law and Public Policy 3 (Spring 2009): 15-25

“Mysterium Christi: The Christologies of Karl Rahner and Maurice de la Taille,” International Journal of Systematic Theology, 10 (October 2008): 416-430

Published Reviews:

“Review of God and the Mystery of Human Suffering by Robin Ryan,” Horizons 39 (Fall 2012): 341-342

“Review of Faith in the Fight: Religion and the American Soldier in the Great War by Jonathan H. Ebel,” Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, 80 (March 2011): 216-218

“Review of Scattering the Seed: A Guide through Balthasar’s Early Works on Philosophy and the Arts, by Aidan Nichols,” Horizons 36 (Spring 2009): 146-147

Courses taught at St. John's University

Undergraduate:

THE 1000C - Perspectives on Christianity: A Catholic Approach

THE 2200 - The Mystery of the Triune God

THE 2205 - Jesus in the Christian Faith

THE 2210 - Perspectives on the Church

THE 2400 - Christian Spirituality and Mysticism

THE 3215 - The Theology of Mary and the Saints

THE 4990 - Capstone Seminar: Beauty and Presence

Graduate:

THE 404 - Ecclesiology The Theology of Mary

THE 440 - Christian Hope and the World's Future

THE 445 - The Theology of Mary

“The Beauty of Holy Saturday: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Compelling Theology of Beauty as Presence,” presented at Inter-disciplinary.Net Scholarly Conference “Beauty: Exploring Critical Issues, Harris Manchester College, Oxford, United Kingdom, September 15, 2013

“On the Possibility of Theo-Drama: Hans Urs von Balthasar's Theology of Jesus Christ as the Final Concrete Universal,” presented at Theatrical Theology Conference, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, August 16, 2012

“Does Time Heal All Wounds?: Time, Suffering, and Eternity in the Twentieth-Century Christian Mysticism of Adrienne von Speyr,” presented at Inter-Disciplinary.NetScholarly Conference “Making Sense of Suffering,” Prague, Czech Republic, November 10, 2011

“Does God Suffer?: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Theology of Holy Saturday,” presented at Inter-disciplinary.Net scholarly conference “Making Sense of Suffering,” Prague, Czech Republic, November 11, 2010

“Encountering a Consistent Taxonomy of the Trinity: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Theology of the Trinitarian Inversion and Reversion,” presented at College Theology Society, University of Portland, OR, June 5, 2010

“Retrieval of Fatherhood through a Retrieval of Faith in God the Father,” presented at University Faculty for Life Annual Conference, University of St. Thomas Law School, Minneapolis, MN, June 6, 2009

“Paul’s Theology of Charism and the Ecclesial Relationship between Hans Urs von Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr,” presented at College Theology Society, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, ID, May 30, 2009

“Life is Beautiful: A Theological-Aesthetic Argument for Life,” presented at the University Faculty for Life Conference, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, May 31, 2008

“The Generation Searching for a Beautiful Family: A Roman Catholic, Generation X Vision of Ecumenism,” presented at the panel “Catholic / Pentecostal Dialogue: Young Theologians on Ecumenism” Society for Pentecostal Studies Conference, Southeastern College, Lakeland, FL, March 14, 2002