Michael Monshau

Fr. Michael Monshau, OP, PhD serves as Professor of Homiletics and Senior Fellow in Preaching at Aquinas Institute of Theology. As a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Albert the Great, he brings decades of experience teaching homiletics at seminaries across the United States and in Rome, combining academic rigor with practical pastoral application.

His educational credentials demonstrate deep theological formation:

• STL (Licentiate in Sacred Theology) from Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Rome)
• PhD in Homiletics from Vanderbilt University
• MA in Theology from Vanderbilt University
• MA-MDiv from Aquinas Institute of Theology
• MA from Mundelein College
• BA from Lewis University

Professor Monshau's research centers on homiletics as the critical intersection of theology, liturgy, and pastoral practice. His work pioneers methodologies for integrating preaching with Eucharistic worship while grounding contemporary homiletics in Thomistic theology and Dominican spiritual traditions. This dual focus on practical application and intellectual depth defines his scholarly contributions, particularly in Catholic liturgical contexts where sermon preparation must respond to sacramental realities.

His publication trajectory reveals consistent engagement with homiletic foundations: early works established spiritual frameworks through 'Praying with Dominic' (1995) and 'Praying with Thomas Aquinas' (1997), followed by seminal methodological contributions in 'Preaching at the Double Feast' (2006) and 'The Grace and Task of Preaching' (2006). The 2016 parish history demonstrates applied historical methodology, showing how homiletic principles function within living faith communities across generations.

As an educator, Professor Monshau directs the Foundations of Preaching sequence, providing students with comprehensive training in sermon construction, liturgical context analysis, and voice development. His Senior Fellow role supports institutional initiatives in preaching excellence while maintaining active connections with the Dominican Order's global network of theological institutions. Students benefit from his unique synthesis of academic scholarship, liturgical expertise, and Dominican spiritual formation, preparing them for effective preaching ministry within Catholic tradition.