About
Nicholas Austin is a Jesuit priest (SJ) serving as Master and Senior Fellow in Theological Ethics, where he teaches moral theology. His academic career includes prior teaching roles at Heythrop College and practical experience in South Africa's AIDS hospice and Guyana's education sector.
His educational background spans philosophy studies at the University of Bristol and University of Edinburgh, followed by doctoral work in Boston. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1996, with formative fieldwork in South Africa profoundly shaping his ethical perspective.
Dr. Austin's research centers on Virtue Ethics as demonstrated in his 2017 Georgetown University Press monograph 'Aquinas on virtue', and Ignatian Discernment in moral decision-making—a field elevated by Pope Francis. His work bridges Thomistic theology with contemporary issues like healthcare ethics and social justice, emphasizing practical application in Catholic moral tradition.
