Biography:
I did Natural Sciences and a PhD in chemistry at Cambridge. After joining the Dominican Order I did a BA in Theology at Oxford and a Licence at the Angelicum. I was Prior of our Priory in Cambridge 1990-92 and 2004-07, Novice Master and Parish Priest in Edinburgh 1992-2000, and Prior and Parish Priest in Leicester 2001-04. During this period I also taught for the BDiv and MA in Catholic Applied Theology at Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, writing distance-learning course-books on the Holy Trinity, Soteriology, Original Sin, Grace, Sacraments, Eschatology, and Philosophical Cosmology, and a commentary on two Encyclicals of Pope John Paul II. I directed an MA in Catholic Theology there from 1997-2007. In 2007 I returned to Blackfriars, Oxford, where I was Vice-Regent of Studies until 2013, and Director of the Aquinas Institute from Easter 2014 until Easter 2021. I was a member of the Liturgical Formation Sub-Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference 2014-18.
Research Area(s):
Historical and Systematic Theology
Research Interests:
The Holy Trinity; Soteriology; Grace; the Theological Virtues and Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Sacraments; Original Sin; the thought of Thomas Aquinas.
Research Centres & Projects:
The Aquinas Institute, Blackfriars Hall; the Thomistic Evolution Project.
Links:
https://www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/people/fr-richard-conrad-op/
https://www.thomisticevolution.org/our-team-of-dominican-friars-and-scho...
Publications & Research Outputs:
‘Why Aquinas Would Agree That Human Economic Behaviour Is Largely Predictable.’ P. Z. Róna and László Zsolnai (eds.) Agency and Causal Explanation in Economics. Cham: Springer, 2020. 93-113. [With Peter Hunter]
‘The Rational Animal and Modern Science: The Research Context of the Papers.’ New Blackfriars 100 (2019) 627-644. [Introduction to an issue I part-edited on ‘The Rational Animal: Aquinas Institute Papers.’]
‘Aquinas on the Unfolding of Law.’ Law and Justice: The Christian Law Review No. 183 (Trinity/Michaelmas 2019) 118- 133.
‘The Tasks of Human Lawgivers: The Torah as Exemplar.’ Law and Justice: The Christian Law Review No. 183 (Trinity/Michaelmas 2019) 155-175.
‘The Holy Trinity as Source of Human Dignity and Destiny according to St Thomas Aquinas.’ John Loughlin (ed.) Human Dignity in the Judaeo-Christian Tradition: Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant Perspectives. London: Bloomsbury, 2019. 79-98.
‘Catholic Sacramental Theology’ and ‘Eucharistic Theology.’ Peter McGrail and Martin Foster (eds.) SCM Study Guide to Catholic Liturgy. London: SCM, 2018. 55-79; 160-185.
‘Humanity Created for Communion with the Trinity in Aquinas.’ George Westhaver (ed.) A Transfor-ming Vision: Knowing and Loving the Triune God. London: SCM, 2018. 121-134.
‘Human Practice and God’s Making-Good in Aquinas’ Virtue Ethics.’ David Carr, James Arthur and Kristján Kristjánssons (eds.) Varieties of Virtue Ethics. London: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2016. 163-179. ‘St. Thomas on Christ’s Passion and Resurrection as Efficient and Exemplar Causes: How This Concept Helps us Read Scripture and Preach Christ.’ Angelicum 91 (2014) 167-205.
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. London: Catholic Truth Society, 2009.
