Center for Carmelite Studies

Center for Carmelite Studies

Our Mission

The 800-year-old Carmelite tradition is composed of many facets and elements…

Historical
Our history lies in eremitic roots, assimilation to the mendicants, the rise of Carmelite women and laity, as well as various reform and renewal movements.
Intellectual
The Carmelites are composed of many noted theologians and scholars, like John Baconthorpe, Edith Stein, and Roland Murphy. We also include authors of the Salmanticenses and Complutenses, and eminent Mariologists, like Eamon Carroll and Christopher O’Donnell.
Spiritual
From the Carmelites have come teachings of some of Christianity’s greatest saints and mystics, e.g., Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Thérèse of Lisieux.
Pastoral and Prophetic
We are preachers, teachers, missionaries, and champions of social justice, with members like Titus Brandsma.
Cultural
The Carmelites have produced artists and poets such as Fra Lippo Lippi, Baptist of Mantua, and Jessica Powers.
Ecclesiastical
The Carmelite Order is an expression of consecrated life that has produced outstanding church leaders, e.g., St. Peter-Thomas, Bishop Donal Lamont, Cardinal Anders Arborelius.

The mission of the Center for Carmelite Studies is to make the resources of this rich Carmelite heritage available to the contemporary church and world, by fostering scholarly study and research in the history, culture, and spirituality of the Carmelites, and promoting the effective pastoral application of the results.

Carmelite Center Activities

  • Developing graduate courses and programs on major figures, movements, and themes in the Carmelite tradition.
  • Identifying additional lecturers and scholars who can collaborate in the delivery of these courses and programs.
  • Offering scholarship support and dissertation guidance for doctoral students wishing to focus on a Carmelite topic.
  • Organizing and/or co-sponsoring conferences, symposia, workshops, and lecture series related to the Carmelite tradition.
  • Promoting scholarly publications and the development of bibliographical resources in the area of Carmelite Studies.
  • Developing practical training and orientation programs for lay colleagues in Carmelite ministries and others who could benefit from deeper exposure to the Carmelite heritage.
  • Collaborating with other scholars and scholarly organizations involved in Carmelite Studies, and sharing information about their activities and resources.