Edward Foley is the Duns Scotus Professor Emeritus of Spirituality and retired Professor of Liturgy and Music at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he was the founding Director of the Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry Program. A member of the Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order since 1966, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1975. He earned an M.Div. (1975) from St. Francis School of Pastoral Ministry in Milwaukee, an M.Mus. in choral conducting (1975) from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, an M.A. in liturgical research (1980), an M.A. in Liturgy (in course, 1983), and the Ph.D. in Theology (1987) from the University of Notre Dame. He is also certified as an on-line instructor (2010) and Institutional Review Board supervisor (2018). He has served as an adjunct professor at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, as well as multiple other universities, He currently serves as the vice-postulator for the canonization cause of Blessed Solanus Casey.

A specialist in worship and the arts, Foley identifies himself as a practical theologian. An award winning author, he currently has 31 books in print, including A Commentary on the Order of Mass: A New English Translation (2011) Religion, Diversity and Conflict (2010), A Commentary on the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2007), Worship Music: A Concise Dictionary (2000), Preaching Basics (1998), Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals co-authored with Herbert Anderson (1997), Ritual Music (1995), Developmental Disabilities and Sacramental Access (1994), and the well known From Age to Age (1991), which was completely revised and expanded (2008) and appears in five languages. His most recent works are Eucharistic Adoration after Vatican II (2022); Preaching as Paying Attention: Theological Reflection in the Pulpit, published by Liturgy Training Publications (2021); Music: Its Theologies and Spiritualities – a Global perspective , MPDI in Basel, Switzerland (2020); Catholic Marriage: A Pastoral-Liturgical Handbook, published by Liturgy Training Publications (2019), and Defragmenting Franciscanism: Collaboration in a post Ite Vos era, published by Catholic Theological Union (2019). He has also produced a set of 4 DVDs on the history of Eucharistic theology.

Foley has also authored over 325 chapters in books, scholarly and pastoral articles, and reviews in such collections as The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart and in journals such as The Asia Journal of Theology, The Journal of Practical Theology, Liturgisches Jahrbuch, La Maison-Dieu, Revue Bénédictine, Speculum and Worship. His articles and books have been translated into 9 languages.

Foley is Past-President of the North American Academy of Liturgy, a founder and originating member of the executive committee of the Catholic Academy of Liturgy, and former member of the executive committee of the International Academy of Practical Theology. A well known speaker and teacher, he has lectured in over 70 dioceses throughout the United States, in Canada, England, Ireland, India, Europe, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Spain and Namibia. He was granted the mandatum as a teacher of Roman Catholic theology from Francis Cardinal George.

Among his various honors are Lawrence Heiman Citation from the Rensselaer Program of Church Music and Liturgy (1997), the Jubilate Deo award from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (2003), and the Berakah Award from the North American Academy of Liturgy (2013). He is a recipient of the Frederick McManus Award from the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (2021) and received a faculty fellowship from the University of Notre Dame and appointment as the Marten Professor of Preaching (2022). He is a recipient of multiple grants including a sabbatical grant from the Lilly foundation (2012) and a major award from the John Templeton foundation on preaching and the sciences (2020-2023). Foley preaches and presides at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago and St. Mary’s Church in Riverside Il.