DOYLE, Dennis M(ichael) 1952-

PERSONAL:

Born April 2, 1952, in Philadelphia, PA; son of Joseph C. and Mary (McVeigh) Doyle; married Patricia M. Dempsey, June 13, 1981; children: Thomas, Michael, Patrick, Christopher. Education: LaSalle University, B.A. (English); Ohio University, M.A. (English); Catholic University of America, Ph.D. (religious studies). Politics: Democrat. Religion: Roman Catholic.

ADDRESSES:

Home—362 Marathon Ave., Dayton, OH 45406. Office—University of Dayton, Department of Religious Studies, Dayton, OH 45469-1530; fax: 937-229-4330. E-mail—Dennis.Doyle@notes.udayton.edu.

CAREER:

Educator. University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, professor of religious studies, 1984—.

MEMBER:

College Theology Society (chair of research and publications).

WRITINGS:

The Church Emerging from Vatican II: A Popular Approach to Contemporary Catholicism, Twenty-third Publications (Mystic, CT), 1992, revised edition, 2002.

Communion Ecclesiology, Orbis Books (Maryknoll, NY), 2000.

(With son, Patrick Doyle) Rumors at School, Paulist Press (Mahwah, NJ), 2000.

Contributor to periodicals, including Commonweal, National Catholic Reporter, and Theological Studies.

SIDELIGHTS:

In Communion Ecclesiology educator Dennis M. Doyle examines the modern vision of the Catholic Church. Communion ecclesiology emphasizes "the sacramental and creedal bonds between all Catholic believers," explained Lawrence S. Cunningham in Commonweal. In his work, the author "addresses the fact that there are ostensibly competing and/or conflicting understandings of the Church as communion," wrote Mary A. Ehle in a review of Doyle's work for Theological Studies. "Doyle seeks a way forward from these conflicts by arguing for the contribution of a communion ecclesiology 'defined more inclusively to embrace a reasonable range of theological approaches.'" Cunningham praised Communion Ecclesiology, noting that Doyle "is fair in his exposition of different theological opinions while being open about what he sees as deficiencies."

Doyle told CA: "I always wanted to be a writer. I had a major religious conversion in my early twenties. I am intellectually driven. Writing is a large part of what I consider to be my life's work."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Christian Parenting Today, March, 2001, review of Rumors at School, p. 62.

Commonweal, November 9, 2001, Lawrence S. Cunningham, review of Communion Ecclesiology, p. 31.

National Catholic Reporter, May 28, 1993, William C. Graham, review of The Church Emerging from Vatican II: A Popular Approach to Contemporary Catholicism, p. 40.

Theological Studies, September, 2001, Mary A. Ehle, review of Communion Ecclesiology, p. 624.