Joseph E. Simmons

Joseph E. Simmons is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology at Marquette University, specializing in Systematic Theology. A Catholic priest of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and Marquette alumnus (Class of 2004), he contributes to both undergraduate and graduate theological education within the Jesuit tradition.

His academic credentials include:

• DPhil in Theology from the University of Oxford (2023), supervised by Rev. Dr. Graham Ward
• Bachelor's degrees in Classics and Spanish Language and Literature from Marquette University (2004)

Fr. Simmons' research explores theological intersections with modern literature, particularly through the works of Virginia Woolf and Marilynne Robinson. His scholarship engages the phenomenological turn in theology to examine religious experience, while critically analyzing atheism and secularity in contemporary contexts. He investigates how theological concepts manifest in literary narratives of domesticity, grace, and human consciousness.

As Faculty Advisor to Marquette's chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu (the Jesuit Honor Society), he mentors students in integrating academic excellence with spiritual formation. His teaching spans foundational theology courses to specialized seminars on C.S. Lewis and secular age theology, including upcoming doctoral-level instruction on religious experience.