Sister Mary Christine Athans Papers

Sr. Mary Christine Athans was born April 7,1932 in Joliet, Illinois, the daughter of Christophil and Mary Anderson Athans. She received her B.S. in Humanities at Loyola University Chicago before joining the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) in 1955. Athans taught at the middle and high school levels in Chicago, Saint Paul, and Phoenix from 1958 - 1970 while completing a M.A. in History at the Catholic University of America (1966). She earned a M.A. in Theology at the University of San Francisco (1975) and completed her a Ph.D. in historical theology from the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in 1982.

Athans was named Professor Emerita of the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas in 2002 after serving as professor there since 1984. From 1982 - 1984 she was an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She also taught as an adjunct professor at the Catholic Theological Union, Loyola University Chicago, the University of San Francisco and the University of Sant Clara during her career. She also served as the Assistant Academic Dean and Dean of Studies at the School of Theology at Claremont, CA (1979 - 1980.).

Athans was a respected author and scholar primarily in the areas of Jewish-Christian relations and American religious life and thought. She was recognized with a number of awards for her ecumenical work including he B'nai B'rith Humanitarian Award and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Award.

Athans died on December 7, 2019 at the Caritas Center in Dubuque, IA.