Mission/Vision

The Loyola Institute's core mission is to engage in critical reflection on Christian faith, social justice and contemporary culture in the context of the Catholic tradition. Like other university-based institutes of Catholic theology, Loyola takes an analytical humanities approach to the study of church teachings. Such a context inevitably involves a great diversity of voices, perspectives and methods.

Through its Affiliated Staff’s research and teaching, Loyola's mission is to equip students to respond to the challenges facing the churches today, in particular the Catholic Church, and to address the emerging needs of those faith communities in a manner that is informed, relevant, reasoned and pastoral. This work is pursued in dialogue with other traditions, and in collaboration with the School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies, other Schools and Institutes in Trinity College.

Within this mission, a key aim is to foster religious understanding and tolerance in an increasingly diverse and complex society, especially through dialogue: ecumenically, between Christianity and other religious traditions, and between faith and culture. Related and equivalent aims are the promotion of social justice and the fostering of ethical values in society.

Loyola's mission regarding Catholic theology is outlined in the MoA. The Institute's central concern is the creative intersection of the academy, Church and society. The obligation of the theologian is to be responsive to and at the service of all of the three publics, as well as the discipline of theology. A 'profile' of 'the Loyola Institute theologian therefore require her/him/them to bring the expertise and wisdom needed for the Institute collectively to engage with all three contexts, as constitutive of its wider theological mission.

The Catholic identity of the Institute's theological mission can be further specified with reference to the distinctive traditions of the eight congregations which make up the Loyola Trust: the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), Augustinians, Carmelites, Columbans, Loreto Sisters, Marists, Oblates, Society of African Missions. This honours the Institute's roots in Dublin's Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy. It also gives the Institute access to global networks, and allows for close collaboration with theological institutions in Ireland, in Europe, and worldwide.