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Rev. Robert P. Imbelli (born January 8, 1939) is a Christian Theologian and priest of the Archdiocese of New York. He has taught theology at the New York Archdiocesan Seminary and at the Maryknoll School of Theology. Currently, Father Imbelli is an associate professor of Theology at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Education & Influences
Father Imbelli graduated from Fordham University in 1960. In 1966, he went on to receive his S.T.L. at the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. While in Rome, Imbelli was ordained. Father Imbelli's years of theological study in Rome coincided with the Second Vatican Council. The Second Vatican Council was a movement to, "throw open the windows of the Church, updating and rejuvenating it by returning to the gospel basics, offering a greater openness to the world, and promoting greater unity among the divided Christian family and with all of humanity." This time of revolutionary change would forever shape Imbelli's approach to Theology and drive him to question and improve the Church. Imbelli soon graduated from Yale University in 1972 with a Ph.D. in systematic theology.

Career
Following his graduation from Yale University, Imbelli continued his teaching at St. Joseph's Seminary as a professor of systematic theology. Leaving St. Joseph's, Imbelli continued his teaching at the Maryknoll School of Theology. Finally in 1986, Father Imbelli landed a leadership position as Director of the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry at Boston College. In 1993, he stepped down from this position and has remained an associate professor of theology.

In addition to teaching, Imbelli has been a prolific contributor to journals and magazines like Commonweal, America, and the L'Osservatore Romano. He also edited and contributed to a book Handing on the Faith: the Church's Mission and Challenge in 2006. In addition to his frequent articles, he maintains an almost daily updated blog on Commonweal.

Awards
In 2007, Imbelli's book Handing on the Faith: the Church's Mission and Challenge was chosen in third place for books in theology by the Catholic Press Association. He also received the Theron Rockwell Field Prize for his doctoral dissertation in 1973.

Views on Christology
Imbelli has a special research interest in Christology and Trinitarian theology. Imbelli understands the many challenges facing Christology. He affirms the Council of Chalcedon's belief that Jesus was "perfect [Greek teleion] in divinity, perfect in humanity, truly God and truly human, of a rational soul and body." While affirming this belief, he also recognizes its many issues. In a world where archeological discoveries are undermining the divinity of Christ, Jesus is left as simply human. Imbelli claims that the "challenge before us all, not only theologians, but preachers and parents, artists and educators, is to rekindle in our day and place the Christic imagination: to appropriate and extend Vatican II's confident confession that Jesus is "the light of the nations" (Lumen Gentium, No. 1), that he is "the mediator and fullness of all revelation" (Dei Verbum, No. 2) and that the Holy Spirit offers to everyone "the possibility of being associated with Christ's paschal mystery" (Gaudium et Spes, No. 22)." It is ultimately up to all to reaffirm the divinity as well as the humanity of Jesus Christ.

Problems facing the Church
Imbelli's book, Handing on the Faith: the Church's Mission and Challenge, represents a collection of essays discussing the problems facing the Church. The different contributer's chapters address issues like Religious Education, Community-Based Faith Formation, Identity and Individualism, Communication and even future problems. Imbelli writes a thought provoking introduction to get the ball rolling on tackling these tough issues. Avery Dulles commented in saying, "The Church is faced by no more serious problem than that of handing on the faith to the young. Recognizing current failures, Boston College recently assembled a distinguished group of Catholic scholars and educators, whose considered reflections are presented by the essays in this volume. The series closes with a summons to hope and courage evoking the spirit of Pope John Paul II.  The authors seem to agree that teachers of Catholic doctrine can succeed if they are joyful witnesses to the Lord as he continues to dwell in the community of faith." He acknowledges the difficulties of passing on the faith to the next generation. His editing and collaboration with others starts an important discussion not only to bring to light these serious problems, but also to solve them.

Current Courses

 * Exploring Catholicism: Tradition and Transformation I & II
 * Encountering God in Classics of Spirituality
 * The Theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI
 * Twentieth Century Catholic Trinitarian Theology
 * Jesus Christ and Human Transformation
 * Theology and Spirituality in von Balthasar

Recent Publications

 * “Refashioning Catholic Imagination,” America, vol 203, no 7 (September 27, 2010)
 * “Newman e il Vaticano Secondo,” Osservatore Romano (September 16, 2010).
 * “L’immagine indica la via della realtà,” Osservatore Romano (April 21,2010).
 * “Courageous Witness,” Commonweal (March 12, 2010).
 * “Paolo VI e Benedetto XVI: la matrice della dottrina sociale,” Osservatore Romano (November 8, 2009).
 * “Incarnation and the Eucharist,” Commonweal (April 10, 2009).
 * “Dare a Cesare quell che è suo: Tra religione e politica,” Osservatore Romano (August 11, 2008).
 * “Avery Dulles: Vir Ecclesiasticus,” Foreword to Avery Cardinal Dulles, The McGinley Lectures (New York: Fordham University Press, 2008).
 * “The Faith We Are Called to Keep … and to Spread,” in Voices of the Faithful, edited by William D’Antonio and Anthony Pogorelc (New York: Crossroad, 2007).
 * “Word Incarnate,” America, vol 197, no 7 (September 17, 2007).