Education
- Ph.D., Catholic Ethics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., 2001
- M.A., Catholic Theology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., 1996
- B.A., Mathematics and Philosophy, Berea College, Berea, KY, 1993
Courses
- Marriage and Family Today (TH 3354)
- God, Work, and Money (TH 3355)
- Aliens, Heroes, Monsters and Jesus (TH 3359)
Biography
Jason E. King, Ph.D., is the Beirne Chair of Catholic Studies and Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary’s University. His teaching, research and leadership focus on renewing Catholic higher education and connecting scholarship with the life of the Church and society.
King is widely recognized for his research on the outcomes of Catholic higher education. He leads the Higher Education Outcomes (HIR) Study, a multi-year national project that measures the ways Catholic colleges and universities shape students’ lives. The study has drawn attention in national media and professional associations, highlighting how Catholic higher education fosters not only faith and moral reflection but also civic engagement, openness to diversity and deeper meaning in graduates’ work and lives.
He is also an active public speaker, having been invited to lecture and present at leading universities and organizations across the country. His recent talks include lectures at the University of Notre Dame, the Catholic University of America, the University of Dayton and Duquesne University. He has spoken at professional associations such as the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and the National Catholic College Admission Association, as well as at scholarly societies including the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Christian Ethics, the Catholic Theological Society of America and the College Theology Society.
Through this combination of scholarship, leadership and public engagement, King seeks to strengthen the mission of Catholic higher education and to contribute to the Church’s intellectual and social traditions. His work at the Center for Catholic Studies continues to foster dialogue across campus, Church and community, ensuring that Catholic scholarship not only shapes students’ lives but also speaks to the broader challenges facing society today.
Selected Publications
Faith with Benefits: Hookup Culture on Catholic Campuses (Oxford University Press).
Love, Sex, and Families: Catholic Perspectives (Liturgical Press), winner of two national Catholic press awards.
The Green Mister Rogers: Environmentalism in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (University Press of Mississippi).
The Soul of Catholic Higher Education (Bloomsbury), forthcoming. Explores how Catholic colleges can reclaim their identity and serve as a model for all of higher education.
Books
King has published widely in leading academic and public outlets. His work appears in journals such as:
- Horizons
- New Blackfriars
- Journal of Moral Theology
- Journal of Catholic Higher Education
- America
- Church Life Journal
- The Chronicle of Higher Education
- National Catholic Reporter
- The Conversation
Journals
“Rethinking the Work of the Theologian in the Pandemic’s Wake,” Horizons 50.1 (2023): 1-31, doi: 10.1017/hor.2023.5. Co-authored with Kathy Lilla Cox.
“The Pandemic, Contingent Faculty, and Catholic Colleges and Universities.” Academic Labor: Research and Artistry 6.1 (2022): 60-71. Co-authored with Andrew Herr and Julia Cavallo.
“Theological Education and the Dangers of Mentoring,” The Human in a Dehumanizing World: Reimagining Theological Anthropology and Its Implications. College Theology Society Annual Volume 67, Jessica Coblentz and Daniel Horan, eds. (New York: Orbis Books, 2022) 116-119.
“The Demanding Theology of Mister Rogers,” New Blackfriars 103.1103 (2022) 62-76, doi: 10.1111/nbfr.12651.
“Parenting for Environmental Care,” Human Families: Identities, Relationships, and Responsibilities. College Theology Society Annual Volume 66 (2020) 124-135.
“What Chairs Can Do for Contingent Faculty,” Journal of Catholic Higher Education 38.2 (2019) 177-192.
“Appalachia and Laudato Si’: Developing the Connection between the Poor and the Environment,” Horizons 46.2 (2019) 246-269.
“Mister Rogers’ Environmentalism: Children’s Spirituality in a Trash Apocalypse,” International Journal of Children’s Spirituality 24.2 (2019) 155-165.
“Does Service and Volunteering Affect Catholic Identity?” Praxis: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Faith and Justice 1.2 (2018) 104-122. Co-authored with Andrew Herr.
“Does Catholic Identity Affect Students?” Journal of Catholic Higher Education 34.2 (2015) 195-209. Co-authored with Andrew Herr.
“Feelings and Decision Making.” New Blackfriars 97.1067 (2015) 39-51.
“Trying Not to ‘Shove Religion Down Their Throats.’” Religious Education 110.2 (2015) 198-211.
“Student Perception of and Role in Determining Catholic Identity.” Journal of Catholic Higher Education 33.2 (2014) 261-278.
“The Exercise of Obedience and Authority in the Rule of Saint Benedict.” American Benedictine Review 65.3 (2014) 257-270.
“Ecumenical Marriage as Leaven for Christian Unity.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 42 (2007) 253-263.
“Vatican II’s Ecclesiology and the Sexual Abuse Scandal.” Vatican II: Forty Years Later. College Theology Society Annual Volume 51 (2005) 145-162.