M. Shawn Copeland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. Shawn Copeland
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| Born | August 24, 1947 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Theologian |
| Title | Professor Emerita |
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| Influences |
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| Influenced | Andrew L. Prevot
Robert J. Rivera Michele Saracino |
Mary Shawn Copeland (born August 24, 1947), known as M. Shawn Copeland, is a well-known American theologian. A theologian is someone who studies religious beliefs. She is a retired professor from Boston College. She is famous for her work in theological anthropology, which is the study of what it means to be human from a religious point of view. She also studies political theology, which looks at how religious ideas connect to society and government. Her work also focuses on womanist and Black Catholic ideas.
Her Life Story
M. Shawn Copeland grew up in Detroit, Michigan. She was an only child. She went to church schools for her elementary and high school education. In 1969, she earned her college degree in English from Madonna College.
After college, she became a religious sister, also known as a nun. She taught at a high school. She became involved in protests when the local Catholic church leaders in Detroit tried to close Black Catholic schools. Because of this, she felt pressure from her religious order. In 1971, she transferred to another group of sisters called the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
After working for different organizations, she started studying for her PhD at Boston College. She wanted to study with a famous theologian named Bernard Lonergan. She finished her PhD in 1991. Her studies focused on systematic theology, which is about organizing and understanding religious beliefs. In 1994, she left her life as a religious sister.
Her Teaching Career
Professor Copeland has taught at many universities. These include Xavier University of Louisiana, Yale Divinity School, and Marquette University. She worked as a part-time professor at Boston College for several years. In 2003, she became an associate professor there. She became a full professor in 2013. In 2019, she retired and became a Professor Emerita. This means she is a retired professor who still holds her title.
From 2003 to 2004, Professor Copeland made history. She was the first African American president of the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA). This is a very important group for Catholic theologians. She also led the Black Catholic Theological Symposium (BCTS) from 2001 to 2005.
Professor Copeland has given many important lectures. In 2019, she gave the Cunningham Lectures at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her topic was "Theology as Political: The Weight, the Yearning, the Urgency of Life." In 2020, she became a special chair at Emory University for one year. She gave public lectures there in 2020 and 2021.
Her Important Ideas
Professor Copeland's work covers many areas of theology. These include systematic theology, political theology, and public theology. Public theology looks at how religious ideas are shared in public discussions. She also studies Christology, which is the study of Jesus Christ. Her work always focuses on the real-life experiences of people who face unfairness, violence, and injustice.
Professor Copeland has always been active in fighting for justice. In 2021, she gave a lecture at the Black Catholic Theological Symposium. She said that "Black Lives Matter is what theology looks like." This means that working for justice for Black people is a way of living out religious beliefs.
Awards and Recognition
In 2018, Professor Copeland received a very special award. She was the first African American theologian to get the John Courtney Murray Award. This is the highest honor given by the Catholic Theological Society of America. When she received the award, they said her work focuses on people who suffer. They especially noted those who suffer from racism, sexism, and other forms of unfairness in society and the church. They said her work connects this suffering to the cross of Jesus.
Also in 2018, a special book was created in her honor. It was called Enfleshing Theology: Embodiment, Discipleship, and Politics in the Work of M. Shawn Copeland. This type of book, called a festschrift, is a collection of writings by different scholars to honor a respected person. Professor Copeland has also received other awards, like the Marianist Award and the Yves Congar Award. She has also been given six honorary degrees from different universities.
