Celeste Mueller

M.A., Aquinas Institute of Theology
D.Min., Eden Theological Seminary
Assistant Professor in Pastoral Theology and Director of Distance Learning, 2004-present
mueller@ai.edu

I thought science would save the world; how did I get to theology?
I arrived at the study of theology through the doorway of the life sciences. As a biology major at Notre Dame, passionate about studying life itself, I took my first theology class and had the curious sensation that I had come home - that, at last, I was studying life in all its fullness. There was a division between the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science that would not permit me to pursue a double major; I had to choose. Much to the dismay of the Dean of Science, I chose theology. Since then, all of my theological endeavors have resisted dichotomies so often drawn between scholarship and ministry, theory and practice, church and world, secular and sacred.

Shaping a mission
My theological reflection over the years on my experiences as a high school theology teacher, instructor in theology at Saint Louis University, a campus minister, and on my experiences in a variety of volunteer ministries in parishes, jails, with the homeless and at-risk urban youth, has lead me to a personal mission that shapes my current pursuits. John Paul II makes this invitation in the document Christi Fideles Laici:

"In our times, the Church after Vatican II in a renewed outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost has come to a more lively awareness of her missionary nature and has listened again to the voice of her Lord who sends her forth into the world as "the universal sacrament of salvation". You go too. The call is a concern not only of Pastors, clergy, and men and women religious. The call is addressed to everyone: lay people as well are personally called by the Lord, from whom they receive a mission on behalf of the Church and the world."

"You go too." I love that short sentence! I am passionately committed to the formation of Christians for discipleship, that is, to the task of equipping all Christians to understand their identity as members of the Body of Christ, to know and embrace the inner authority of that identity so that they are able to take responsibility for their share of the mission of the Church in the world. Active engagement in the mission of the church can also draw us out of the divisions that are plaguing this period in the life of the church. There is simply too much pain, injustice and spiritual and material hunger in the world for Christians to be trapped and paralyzed by divisiveness.

Scholarly interests
All people are doing theology all the time, but few are aware of the process. I am convinced that theological reflection, a critical component of the formation of ministers, is an essential tool that needs to be in the hands of every Christian disciple. How can we most effectively equip Christians with that tool? What pedagogical methods and ecclesiological strategies are needed? How does the task of forming Christians for active discipleship reshape the priorities and self-understanding of a parish? These are questions that shape my ongoing study.

Theological reflection, a conversation engaging the fruits of rigorous theological study, lived experience and keen observations and analysis of culture, is the root and mechanism of Practical Theology. Practical Theology focuses on the mediation of Christian faith in the praxis of modern society. As Gerben Heitnik describes it, "God's action mediated through human action is the theological center of gravity of practical theology." My scholarly interests are oriented to new developments in the field of Practical Theology -- a discipline that helps navigate the multiple intersections of faith, religion and culture -- for the sake of the created world, human lives and the reign of God emerging in our midst.

Current work
The newly created department of Cross Disciplinary Studies, in which I am teaching, affirms the importance of Practical Theology in the formation of ministers and theologians at Aquinas Institute. The required first course for all students, the Proseminar, and the Integrative Seminar, which concludes ministry programs, center around five habitus that invite students to become minister-theologians, pastor-scholars, through their practice of excellence in written and oral communication, close reading of texts, analysis of social context, theological reflection and collaboration in their studies, in their ministries and in their lives. In this way, we invite students to embody their call to be a Word for the World, sharing in the communal task that St. Dominic describes as "Becoming the Sacred Preaching."

The importance of forming ministers who can equip congregations for faithful discipleship in the world also motivates my service as Director of Distance Learning. The dioceses we serve, that would not otherwise have access to Catholic graduate theological education and formation for ministry, know the spiritual, theological and material hungers of the people of God and know the importance of excellent ministers who can form and lead Catholic individuals and congregations to respond to those needs in their communities. Distance Learning at Aquinas Institute, which involves learning cohorts, on-line conversation and technologically assisted instruction, presents exciting challenges and opportunities. I am very interested in continuing to explore pedagogical presuppositions and new methods in teaching and learning.

I am particularly impressed with the commitment and hunger I witness in two other Aquinas programs with which I work, the Vocare Center�s Graduate Symposium in Mission Leadership and the Ascension Formation in Catholic Healthcare Ministry Leadership. Both programs equip leaders in corporate ministries of the church to continue to lead these institutions as ministries. The participants in these programs study Catholic theology and practice theological reflection, and they are eager to use what they learn to orient their institutions toward the reign of God. I see evidence that these leaders are beginning to reshape corporate and academic cultures according to Catholic Social teaching and a sacramental vision of the world.

In my spare time
I enjoy spending time with my husband and marveling at the multiple transitions involved in raising two teenagers. Our family time has become even more precious as we see college for our son and daughter looming just over the horizon. We still like to camp together as a family, and as often as I can, I sneak away with my dog to do some hiking. I enjoy poetry and gardening, occasions for sharing food and laughter with friends, and reading fiction.