Alex Villas Boas

Alex Villas Boas is Principal Investigator and executive coordinator of CITER - Research Center in Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP) in Lisbon. He serves as Professor of Theology and Literature in the Doctoral Program in Theology and of Hermeneutics of Religious Texts in the Master's in Religious Studies, both at the Catholic University of Portugal.

His education includes an Aggregation in Ethics and Theological Language from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC SP), a Post-doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome (PUG), a PhD in Theology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC Rio), and a Master's degree in Theology from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC SP).

Villas Boas' research spans multiple interconnected fields including Theology and Literature, Systematic Theology, Theological Hermeneutics, Spirituality, and Public Theology. His work explores the intersection of religious thought with literary expression, cultural phenomena, and contemporary social issues. He has developed significant expertise in the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, particularly in relation to the works of Karl Rahner and Hans Urs von Balthasar.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on theological archaeology, genealogical approaches to religious knowledge, and the application of theological perspectives to contemporary challenges like migration, mental health in multicultural contexts, and ecological concerns. His work shows increasing engagement with post-secular society and the role of public theology in addressing contemporary crises.

• Religions 2022 Young Investigator Award (2023)
• FAPERJ Nota 10 (2012)
• Prêmio Bolsa de Produtividade Fundação Araucária (2018)
• Prêmio de Produtividade em Pesquisa (2019)

As Principal Investigator, Villas Boas leads multiple significant research projects including COLIVING2020 on intercultural living and public theology, CRC1975-1999 on political spirituality and democracy, and ARCHAEOLOGY2022 on theological knowledge in post-secular societies. He has advised numerous graduate students on topics ranging from Carthusian perspectives to messianic phenomena in Brazilian religious history. His international collaborations span institutions in Portugal, Canada, Mozambique, Brazil, Argentina, and Austria.

Villas Boas has directed the Research Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (CITER) and previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Teoliterária – Brazilian Journal of Literature and Theology (2011-2021). He currently serves as assistant editor of the Ephata Journal. His work contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to education, peace, and social justice.