Brian McDermott, SJBrian McDermott, S.J. is an ordained member of the Maryland Province of the Jesuits. He is currently a special assistant to the President of Georgetown University and adjunct professor in Catholic Studies. From 1973 to 2000, he was a member of the faculty of Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, MA, one of the two national Jesuit theological centers sponsored by the Society of Jesus for the training of Jesuits, other religious and lay persons for ministry in the Church. While at WJST, he taught systematic theology, Ignatian spirituality, and authority and leadership. For eight years (1991-1999) he was academic dean at the school. For eighteen years he was rector, or religious superior, at Weston, Georgetown, and Loyola University Maryland.  He has been a spiritual director for forty-one years. From 1996 to 2012 he was the director of tertians for the Maryland and New York provinces of the Society of Jesus. In that capacity he accompanied fellow Jesuits as they made, for the second time, the full Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, prior to pronouncing final vows.  Father McDermott is highly regarded for his wisdom and experience as a spiritual director and for his deep understanding of the Spiritual Exercises.

Fr. McDermott is the author of two books, What Are They Saying About the Grace of Christ? (Paulist Press) and Word Become Flesh: Dimensions of Christology (Liturgical Press) and numerous articles and book reviews. He has produced three audio CD series for Now You Know Media, Inc: “Who Is Jesus?: An Introduction to Christology,”  “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola,” and “The Dynamics of God’s Grace.”

In recent years Fr. McDermott has been interested in the evolution of consciousness, especially in connection with Ignatian “mysticism” and Teresa of Avila.  His expertise in systematic theology and particularly Christology is an invaluable asset in interpreting the spiritual experience of Teresa.