Leland J. White: A Biographical Sketch with Bibliography

Leland J. White Editor, BTB 1984-2001

Dr. Leland J. White’s research interests were in two areas: the relationship between religion and culture and the U.S. value system as expressed in law.

His agenda was set during his theological studies in Rome from 1962 to 1966, where he witnessed the Second Vatican Council in its entirety.  At the Council, Catholics from across the globe with the generous help and advice of leaders and scholars of many religious traditions attempted to reinterpret Catholic thinking and practice to the needs of the contemporary world.

A primary victory achieved at the council was the Vatican’s first recognition of the fundamental human right to religious freedom long established in U.S. culture.  Implicit in this reversal of medieval teaching was the recognition that culture is inevitably a major factor in religious understanding and teaching.

To investigate culture across cultural lines, cross-culturally, Dr. White followed paths set by the social sciences, principally cultural anthropology. To pinpoint the major features of U.S. culture, and the American value system, he looked for the data embedded in U.S. law and legal traditions.
At the College of Charleston during Maymester and summer sessions since 1994, Dr. White taught a course on religion and society, focusing on how religion and society interact in U.S. life as exemplified in the role of  religion in the marketplace and in law.

At St. John’s University (New York), since 1982, Professor Leland J. White taught a variety of courses in which he interpreted religious thought and life in the framework of the culture from which they come or in which they are found. He showed, for example, how Mediterranean assumptions about persons and societies are embedded in the source materials for Christianity and how many European assumptions govern commonly cited modern materials.
The objective of his courses was to enable contemporary U.S. students, for example, to identify U.S. assumptions and cultural patterns and thus rethink and reapply the religious tradition to their own situations. Dr. White regularly taught Introduction to the Bible, The Synoptic Gospels, Jesus in Christian Thought, and Interpretation of the Bible.

Dr. White earned his Baccalaureate of Arts at St. Mary’s University (Baltimore); his Baccalaureate and Licentiate in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome); a Master of Arts in Education at the University of Michigan; a Doctorate of Laws at Seton Hall University; and a Doctorate of Philosophy at Duke University.

Before joining the St. John’s University faculty in 1982, Professor White was Chair of the Religious Studies Department, Siena College. There he established and directed the Reinhold Niebuhr Institute of Religion and Culture, which has sponsored programs for academic, governmental, community and religious leaders in the Albany area since 1977.

Prior to his appointment at Siena, he was a faculty member at St. Thomas the Apostle Seminary (Kenmore, Washington), St. John’s Provincial Seminary (Plymouth, Michigan), and Nazareth College (Kalamazoo, Mchigan). He has taught and lectured at St. Bonaventure University, St. John’s University in Minnesota, Creighton University, the University of Detroit, and the State University of New York at Albany, and he has served as regular summer lecturer at the College of Charleston.

A member of the Bar in both South Carolina and New Jersey since 1992, he was a member of the Attorney Ethics Committee of the South Carolina Bar and served as Associate Counsel to the New Jersey Law Revision Commission. He participated in the South Carolina Christian Action Council Task Force to draft the S.C. Religious Freedom Act of 1999.  He was long-time member of the American Civil Liberties Union and active in the South Carolina and Charleston Democratic parties.

Born in Charleston, ordained in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome in 1965, Dr. White was a priest of the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, and served as a delegate to the Charleston Diocesan Synod in 1995. He authored a wide variety of publications and served as Editor of Biblical Theology Bulletin from 1984 to 2001.

Publications

Books

1998. Religion and Law in America. South Orange, NJ: BTB Press.

1997. Bible, Church and Culture. South Orange, NJ: BTB Press.

1997. Religion and Society in America. South Orange, NJ: BTB Press.

1988. Jesus the Christ: A Bibliography. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier.

1985. Christ and the Christian Movement: Jesus in the New Testament, the Creeds and Modern Theology. New York: Alba House.

1974. Act in Theology: A Dramatist Inquiry into Method in Karl Barth and Bernard Lonergan. Ann  Arbor, MI: University Microfilms.

Monographs

2001. Romans 1:26–27: The Claim that Homosexuality is Unnatural. Pp. 133–49 in Sexual Diversity and  Catholicism, edited by Patricia Beattie Jung, with Joseph Andrew Coray. A Michael Glazier Book. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.

1999. A Civic Ethic for Public Discourse and Education — Beyond Values Clarification. Chapter 4 in Culture, Curriculum and Community in Nursing, edited by Mary Lebreck Kelley & Virginia Macken Fitzsimmons. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

1987. Theology and Authority: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Theological Scripts. Pp. 71–82 in Theology and Authority, edited by Richard Penaskovic. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

1985. Where the Call to the Priesthood Fits in the Mission of the Church, prepared for National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Vocations; published in Pastoral Life 34:4 (April l985), 14–21.

1974. The Call to Priesthood and Religious Life: Changing Theological Perspectives. Pp. 28–62 in Report on the Study of Church Vocations: Status and Prospects, by C. W. Tageson et al. Notre Dame, IN: Center for the Study of Contemporary Man.

Journal Articless

2001. Group Hatreds—Some Explanations. Biblical Theology Bulletin 31: 82–84.
2000. Political Choice. Biblical Theology Bulletin 30: 118–19.
1999. The Secular Mind. Biblical Theology Bulletin 29: 96–98.
1998. Keeping Faith. Biblical Theology Bulletin 28: 90–94.
1998. Shadow Syndromes. Biblical Theology Bulletin 28: 2–3.
1997. Rubber Bullets. Biblical Theology Bulletin 27: 34–35.
1996. It Takes Grownups to Read a Text. Biblical Theology Bulletin 26: 42–43.
1996. Biblical Theology and Public Responsibility. Biblical Theology Bulletin 26: 94–95.
1995. Does the  Bible Speak about Gays or Same-Sex Orientation? A Test Case in Biblical Ethics. Biblical Theology Bulletin 25: 14–23.
1995. “Judaeans” or “Jews”—Does It Make a Difference to Us? Biblical Theology Bulletin 25: 54–55.
1995. Biblical Theology—the Next 25 Years. Biblical Theology Bulletin 25: 150–51.
1994. “Jesus ain’t yah. E done git op from amongst de ded.” (Lk 24:6). Biblical Theology Bulletin 24: 150.
1994. Biblical Theology On-Line. Biblical Theology Bulletin 24: 94.
1993. What If Our Only Witness Happens To Be Blind? Biblical Theology Bulletin 23: 90.
1993. Ignorance of the Law Is No Excuse In Ministry. Pastoral Life 42: 7:25–30.
1993. Our Adversaries Are Not Simpleminded: People Need Best in Biblical Scholarship to Meet Challenge. Biblical Theology Bulletin 23: 2–3.
1992. There’s No Ozzie & Harriet or Murphy Brown in the Bible—Helping People Cope with Robertson, Ratzinger, et al. Biblical Theology Bulletin 22: 146–48.
1992. When We Grow Up. Biblical Theology Bulletin 22: 2.
1991. Corporation—Directors and Officers—Civil Liability N.J. State. Ann. Sec. 14A:2–7 et seq. Seton Hall Legislative Journal 15: 246–47.
1991. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship—A Turn in the Road for Ecumenism and Biblical Scholarship. Biblical Theology Bulletin 21: 86.
1991. Different Vocabularies Divide. Biblical Theology Bulletin 21: 42.
1990. “Tell Them . . . How Much He Has Had Mercy on You.” Mark 5:19. Biblical Theology Bulletin 20:138.
1990. Mutuality vs. Complementarity: New Mariological Challenge. Biblical Theology Bulletin 20: 46.
1989. Nathan’s Time. Biblical Theology Bulletin 19: 114.
1989. Is Theological Dissent in the US Productive? Pastoral Life 38/5: 14–22.
1989. Starting Over. Biblical Theology Bulletin 19: 2.
1988. Naked Imperatives. Biblical Theology Bulletin 18: 90.
1988. Fundamentalism and the “Fullness of Christianity”: Catholicism’s Double Challenge. Biblical Theology Bulletin 18: 50–59.
1988. Outer and Inner, Male and Female. Biblical Theology Bulletin 18: 2.
1987. Good News on Mass Media? Biblical Theology Bulletin 17: 82.
1987. By a Jury of One’s Peers: Theologians in an Open Society. Biblical Theology Bulletin 17: 2.
1986. Dissonance: Beautiful? Good? True? Biblical Theology Bulletin 16: 86.
1986. Midrash: A Key to the Meaning of the Scriptures. 17 Pace: Professional Approaches to Christian Education 17: 81–85.
1986. Words: Walls or Bridges. Biblical Theology Bulletin 16: 2.
1986. Grid and Group in Matthew’s Community: The Righteousness /Honor Code in the Sermon on the Mount. Social Scientific Criticism of the New Testament and Its Social World, edited by John H. Elliott. Semeia 35: 61–90.
1986. The Bible, Theology and Cultural Pluralism. Biblical Theology Bulletin 16: 111–15.
1986. Mapping Economic Life in the Bible. Pastoral Life 35/3: 30–38.
1985. The Past is Past: The Challenge of Ancient Texts. Biblical Theology Bulletin 15: 86.
1985. But the Lord Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart . . . Biblical Theology Bulletin 15: 42.
1985. Academic Ministry. Pastoral Life 34/8: 2–9.
1985. Hearing or Seeing the Word. 34 Pastoral Life 34/1: 29–36.
1985. Peacemakers in Matthew’s World. 23 The Bible Today 23/1: 29–34.
1985. Texts, Meanings and Cultural Scripts. Pastoral Life 34/9: 34–41.
1985. Where the Call to Priesthood Fits in the Mission of the Church Today. Pastoral Life 34/4: 14–21.
1983. Presenting the Issue. Biblical Theology Bulletin 13: 106.
1983. Presenting the Issue. Biblical Theology Bulletin 13: 38.
1983. Historical and Literary Criticism: A Theological Response. Biblical Theology Bulletin 13: 32–34.
1981. Biblical Theologians and Theologies of Liberation— Part II: Midrash Applies Text to Context. Biblical Theology Bulletin 11: 98–103.
1981. Biblical Theologians and Theologies of Liberation—Part I: Canon—Supporting Framework. Biblical Theology Bulletin 11: 35–40.
1979. Ministry Is Public Service. Worship 53: 511–18.
1975. Christology and Corporate Ministry. American Benedictine Review 26/1: 54–74.
1974. Science, Poetry and Biblical Inquiry After Positivism: Help from Elizabeth Sewell’s “The Orphic Voice”. The Cord 24/1: 9–22.
1973. John Macmurray: Theology as Philosophy. Scottish Journal of Theology 26: 449–65.
1972. Before We Elect Bishops. Commonweal 46: 139–42.

Book Reviews

1991. Uta Ranke-Heinemann, Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven: Women, Sexuality and the Catholic Church. Biblical Theology Bulletin 21: 128–29.
1988. James A. Sanders, From Sacred Story to Sacred Text: Canon as Paradigm. Biblical Theology Bulletin 18: 37.
1988. Kari Syreeni, The Making of the Sermon on the Mount: A Procedural Analysis of Matthew’s Redactional Activity. Biblical Theology Bulletin 18: 119–20.
1987. Richard Mazziotta, Jesus in the Gospels: Old Stories Told Anew. Pastoral Life 36/6: 63–64.
1987. Gerard S. Sloyan, The Jesus Tradition: Images of Jesus in the West. Pastoral Life 36/4: 61–63.
1986. George R. Edwards, Gay/Lesbian Liberation: A Biblical Perspective; Maury Johnston, Gays Under Grace: A Gay Christian’s Response to the Moral Majority. Biblical Theology Bulletin 16: 81–82.
1986. Joseph Wilson Twigg, Origen. Biblical Theology Bulletin 16: 159–60.
1984. Donald Senior and Carroll Stuhlmueller, The Biblical Foundations for Mission. Biblical Theology Bulletin 14: 170–71.
1982. Michael G. Lawler, Raid on the Inarticulate: An Invitation to Adult Religion. Biblical Theology Bulletin 12: 31–32.
1982. Karl Barth, Letters 1961–1968; Karl Barth, The Christian Life: Church Dogmatics IV/4 Lecture Fragments. Biblical Theology Bulletin 12: 62–63.
1982. Wayne G. Boulton, Is Legalism a Heresy? Biblical Theology Bulletin 12: 132.
1981. Asher Finkel and Lawrence Frizell, eds., Standing Before God: Studies in Honor of John M. Oesterreicher. Biblical Theology Bulletin 11: 90.
1981. L. John Topel, The Way to Peace: Liberation through the Bible. Worship 55: 476–78.
1981. Barbara Kuhn, The Whole Lay Ministry Catalog. Worship 55: 90–92.
1978. Norbert Greinacher and Alois Muller, eds., The Poor and the Church; Johann-Baptist Metz and Jean-Pierre  Josua, eds., Christianity and Socialism. Horizons 5: 274.
1975. Philip McShane, ed., Language, Truth and Meaning. The Cord 25/10: 330–32.
1975. Bernard J. F. Lonergan., A Second Collection. The Cord 25: 362–65.
1975. Karl Rahner. Theological Investigations. Vol.X. 25 The Cord 25: 262–64.
1975. Bruce R. Reichenbach, The Cosmological Argument. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 43 Suppl., 446.
1975. Philip McShane. ed., Language, Truth and Meaning.  Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 43 Suppl., 445.
1975. H. Martin Rumscheidt, Revelation and Theology: An Analysis of the Barth–Harnack Correspondence of 1923. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 43: 125–26.
1974. Philip McShane, ed., Foundations of Theology. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 42: 780.