Dr. Renata Furst

Experience:

Professor Furst specializes in the areas of scripture and spirituality. In Scripture she is specifically interested in Prophetic Literature in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Biblical Hermeneutics, Wisdom Literature, the Pentateuch and Hispanic/Latino(a) Biblical Interpretation. In spirituality, her areas of interest are Ignatian Spirituality, Spiritual Direction and the Biblical Roots of Christian Spirituality. She is particularly interested in hermeneutics, employing approaches as diverse as the hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur, narratology, discourse analysis and possible world theory to the intersection between scripture and spirituality. Dr. Furst has also designed and taught graduate courses from a Hispanic/Latino(a) perspective for the Hispanic Summer Program.

Interests:

Professor Furst contributes to the pastoral mission of Oblate School of Theology by providing teaching and retreats to dioceses on a local and national level. She is particularly interested in teaching, human formation and spiritual direction from an intercultural perspective. Dr. Furst is a regular instructor in Oblate’s continuing education programs (see below) and a member of the Congar Institute’s faculty. In addition, she serves as a pedagogical consultant and instructor for the Programa de espiritualidad y direccion espiritual. She also teaches in Magis, a program to train spiritual directors to accompany others in the Annotation 19 format of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Dr. Furst received a Dissertation Fellowship from the Hispanic Theological Initiative to complete her work titled: Prophecy as a Narrative World: A Study of the World-Constructing Conventions and Narrative Techniques in Hosea 1-3.

Books:

2016. “’How Long, Oh God? I Cry for Help’: Habakkuk, Violence and the Quest for a Just God in Honduras” La Violencia and the Hebrew Bible: The politics and Histories of Biblical Hermeneutics on the American Continent, Edited by Susanne Scholtz and Pablo R. Andiñach, Semeia Studies 82, Atlanta, Society of Biblical Literature.

2015. “International Priests and Religious from Latin America” in To be One in Christ, with Ken Davis, published in Fall 2015, Order of St, Benedict, 141-63.

forthcoming Fall 2016. Spanish translation of the Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to Everyday Living, by Timothy Gallagher, Herder and Herder.

2010.  “A Covenant Dialogue: U.S. Latino/a Catholics Reading the Bible” in Camino a Emaus: Latino Catholics and the Bible, American Bible Society.

2009.  Rut, Esdras, Nehemias in the series Conozca su Biblia, Augsburg Fortress Press.

2007.  De Josué a Crónicas in the series Conozca su Biblia, Augsburg Fortress Press.

2000-06.  “Proclaiming the Word” in Celebrate! volumes 30 to 44. Commentaries on the Old and New Testament texts for use by liturgists and celebrants of the Word. Four commentaries per volume, Ottawa, Novalis.

Articles:

Specialized Teaching and Pastoral Service:

Graduate Courses for the Hispanic Summer Program

2010. The Hispanic Interpretation of the Song of Songs, Princeton, New Jersey.

2004. Dime a Quien Oras y te Diré Quien Eres, A Course in Hispanic Spirituality, New Jersey, Drew University.

2001. Reading en Comunidad, San Antonio, Oblate School of Theology.

Conferences, Seminars and Workshops

2016. The Spiritual Acts of Mercy, conference for the Archdiocese of San Antonio

2015. Expanding the Shrunken Soul: Women, Desire and Prayer retreat given with Mary Wilder in Oblate School of Theology’s continuing education program.

2014-15. Revealing the Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart: Scripture, Spirituality and Spiritual Direction, Two 4 part series, Continuing Education, Oblate School of Theology.

2009. Immigration Texts in the Bible. A seminar taught in both Spanish and English at the Tepeyac Institute, Diocese of El Paso, Texas.

2005-2009.  Biblical Catechetical Program – An introduction to the Pentateuch and to the Gospels for adults.  An experimental program (undergraduate level) that relates Biblical studies to catechesis. Sponsored by the Missionary Catechists of Divine Providence.

2009. Camino a Emaus: The Word of God and Latino Catholics-Conference sponsored by Notre Dame University, American Bible Society.

2007. Two presentations—Call Narratives in the Bible and Women in Jesus’ Genealogy, for the catechetical conference of the Archdiocese of Montreal.

2005.  Call Narratives in the Bible – Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas, Visiting Scholar.