William T. Cavanaugh is professor of Catholic studies and director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology at DePaul University. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame followed by a master’s degree from Cambridge University. He then spent two years working for the Church in a poor area of Santiago, Chile, under the military dictatorship. Upon returning to the United States, he earned a PhD from Duke University and then taught at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota for 15 years before coming to DePaul.
Professor Cavanaugh’s major areas of research have to do with the Church’s encounter with social, political, and economic realities. He is especially interested in the social implications of traditional Catholic beliefs and practices, such as the Eucharist. He has authored six books and edited three more; his books and articles have been published in 10 languages. He has dealt with themes of the Church’s social and political presence in situations of violence and economic injustice.