Joseph C. Atkinson
Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture
Registrar
S.T.L. & S.T.D. Program Advisor
B.A., English, Kings College
B.Ed., Acadia University
B.Th., McGill University
M.Div., Montreal Diocesan Theological College
S.T.L., Pontifical John Paul II Institute, Washington, D.C.
S.T.D., Pontifical John Paul II Institute, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Atkinson’s work has included foundational research in developing the Biblical and theological foundation of the family. He is a primary authority on the concept of the Domestic Church, which explores the ecclesial structure and meaning of the family. The Domestic Church is an ancient idea that has achieved critical prominence since Vatican II. He teaches on the Biblical structure and meaning of marriage and the family, on the Jewish background of the family, on the nature and role of covenant, and on hermeneutics and the role of symbol. He has produced a 13-part series with EWTN on the Domestic Church and has authored numerous articles on Scriptural exegesis and the biblical vision of the family including “Ratzinger’s ‘Crisis in Biblical Interpretation’: 20th Anniversary Assessment,” “Nuptiality as a Paradigmatic Structure of Biblical Revelation,” and “Paternity in Crisis: Biblical and Philosophical Roots of Fatherhood,” and presented the research report, “Primordial Biblical Triptych: The Symbolic Structure of Water in the OT,” at the Catholic Biblical Association. His work also includes “The Revelation of Love in the Song of Songs” in The Way of Love (Ignatius Press) and “Family as Domestic Church: Developmental Trajectory, Legitimacy and Problems of Appropriation” (Theological Studies). His book The Biblical and Theological Foundations of the Family: The Domestic Church is published by CUA Press. He is founder of the Theology of the Family Project which promotes the recovery of the Biblical vision of marriage and family. He serves as the Executive Director of the Catholic Biblical Association.
Select Publications
Select Books
- Biblical and Theological Foundations of the Family: The Domestic Church. (Washington, DC: CUA Press, 2014).
- Guardian of the Redeemer: Redemptoris Custos. [Annotated Commentary] (Boston: Pauline Books & Media, 2014). This 25th anniversary edition provides the complete text of the apostolic exhortation, accompanied by a commentary by Dr. Joseph Atkinson that makes Pope John Paul II’s language more accessible.
- Biblical Vision of the Family: The Domestic Church-Companion Guides (Clinton Corners, NY: Attic Studio Press, 2013).
Select Articles
- “The Universal Call to Holiness and the Family.” Josephinum Journal of Theology (May 2018, No. 24) 1-20.
- “The Family: The Church In Miniature.” The Catechetical Review (July-September, 2016: Vol. 2, No. 3) 14-28.
- “Jesus, Divorce and the Kingdom of Heaven.” Anthropotes Vol. XXX 2014/3, 63-94.
- "The Experience of the Body and the Divine: A Spiritual Perspective." Communio: International Catholic Review 37.2 (Summer 2010): 309-328.
- “The Interpenetration of Inspiration and Inerrancy as a Hermeneutic for Catholic Exegesis.” Letter and Spirit Vol. 6. 2010, 191-224.
- “St. Paul and Marriage: A Hermeneutic.” Anthropotes Vol. XXV 2009/1-2, 179-198.
- "Family as Domestic Church: Developmental Trajectory, Legitimacy, and Problems of Appropriation." Theological Studies 66 (2005), 592-604.
- "My Family, A Church?" Catholic Online.
Select Book Chapters
- “The Scriptural Foundations for Humanae Vitae” in Humanae Vitae: 50 Years of Prophetic Witness, ed. Janet Smith (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2018).
- “Let Man Not Separate” in Inseparable: Five Perspectives on Sex, Life, and Love in Defense of Humanae Vitae (San Diego, CA: Catholic Answers Press, 2018).