C. Vanessa White
Associate Professor of Spirituality and Ministry
Education
BA, Northern Illinois University
MA. DMin, Catholic Theological Union
About
C. Vanessa White, D. Min. is tenured Associate Professor of Spirituality and Ministry at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and Director of the Certificate in Black Theology and Ministry.
She has a Master of Theological Studies with emphasis in Mission and Cross-Cultural Studies (1991). and a Doctor of Ministry with a concentration in Spirituality (2005) from Catholic Theological Union. She pursued further post graduate studies at Loyola University Chicago and Xavier University of Louisiana.
She is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the American Academy of Religion (AAR)where she serves on the Standing Committee for Status for Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Academy, and the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality and the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, where she served as convenor. She also serves as an advisor/consultant for the USCCB Subcommittee for Certification of Ecclesial Ministry which approves the standards for various ministries throughout the U.S. as well as part of the advisory team for Fetzer Institute’s ‘Study on American Spirituality.
Her articles and essays have appeared in New Theology Review, U.S. Catholic, AMERICA, National Catholic Reporter and CNN.org. Her recent contribution to the study of spirituality entitled “Deep Down in My Soul: Black Women and the Spirituality of Freedom: Reading the Signs of the Times” in the book Religion, Women of Color, and the Suffrage Movement: The Journey to Holistic Freedom. She is co-editor of the book, “Songs of Our Hearts and Meditations of Our Souls: Prayers for Black Catholics. (St. Anthony Messenger Press), is a contributor to the Black Catholic Studies Reader (David Endres, editor, CUA, summer 2021) and to the Wisdom Commentary series volume on Luke, 1-9 (General editor, Barbara Reid, Liturgical Press, 2020) Dr. White was an inaugural contributor for the GIVE US THIS DAY, daily prayer booklet published by Liturgical Press as well as the Catholic Women Preach web series.
A womanist practical theologian, her research is focused on the intersections of spirituality and praxis and is attentive to issues of discernment, health, women’s spirituality, diversity/intercultural dialogue, leadership development, spiritual and ministry formation, spiritual practices, lay ministry, adult faith formation and issues pertinent to the life of Black Catholics.
Contact
vwhite@ctu.edu
Dr. White is co-editor of the book (with Dr. Cecilia Moore and Fr. Paul Marshall, SM), Songs of the Heart and Meditations of the Soul – A book of prayers published by St. Anthony Messenger Press [2006], and contributing author in the book Liturgy and Justice [2002] published by Liturgical Press.
She has published articles and essays in the National Religious Vocation Conference journal as well as Horizons: Journal for the College Theology Society New Theology Review, The Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, Daily Theology, The Bible Today, and U.S. Catholic Magazine.
She was asked by CNN News to contribute to their “Black in America” series with an op – piece that can be found online at cnn.org entitled “Authentically Black and Truly Catholic”. She is regular contributor to Give Us This Day – daily prayer journal published by Liturgical Press as well as inaugural contributor to the web-based Catholic Women Preach series.
