Province News

Jesuit Biblical Scholar comes to Xavier University to Accept Prestigious Award
Monday, February 25, 2002

Fr. John Donahue, SJ, recipient of Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Xavier University
On Sunday February 24, 2002, Xavier University awarded Fr. John R. Donahue, SJ, with the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, for his dedication to teaching and training others, his willingness to travel and lecture across the country and abroad, and his many contributions to biblical scholarship and to church life today.

The presentation to Fr. Donahue was made at a ceremony this past Sunday, during which 58 Xavier students were inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the national honor society of U.S. Jesuit colleges and universities. Alpha Sigma Nu is one of the highest honors that can be given on a Jesuit campus.

Fr. Donahue entered the Society of Jesus from Loyola High School in Baltimore in 1951. In 1957, he received his Bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, New York, where he also received a licentiate in Philosophy and a master’s degree in the Classics. He received an additional licentiate in Theology from Woodstock College, Woodstock, MD in 1965. Donahue went on to receive a master’s degree in the Bible from the University of Chicago, where he also received a Ph.D. in the New Testament.

Fr. Donahue started his teaching career at Vanderbilt Divinity School, Nashville, TN, where he taught for seven years. He also has taught at the Jesuit School of Theology and Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA and the University of Notre Dame. In 1981, he was a visiting professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, Italy. From 1984 to 1989, he was appointed by the Vatican Secretariat for promoting Christian Unity as a member of the Roman Catholic/Baptist World Alliance International Dialogue.

He has a special interest in mediating the results of biblical scholarship to a wide audience, having directed the Georgetown Institute on Sacred Scripture from 1989-2000 and serving as a team member for Preaching the Just Word retreats. He was a consultant to the Bishops’ Committee, which drafted the Pastoral Letter “Economic Justice For All,” in 1986. In September 1992, Donahue gave the Brueggeman Ecumenical Chair Lecture at Xavier University. He has also lectured widely on Scripture to church audiences throughout the United States, Canada and Africa.

In addition, Donahue is the author of a weekly column, “The Word,” in America magazine, a national Catholic publication. He also has authored five books and more than 100 articles. His newest book, a commentary on The Gospel of Mark, co-authored with Daniel Harrington, S.J., will be published in March. Currently, he is the Raymond E. Brown Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies at St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, MD.