The only true apostle of Ireland who more or less converted the country single-handed? or a Christian bishop from the embattled edge of a crumbling empire? All that can really be known of Patrick comes from his authentic writings - the 'Confessio' and the 'Epistola' (Address to the Soldiers of Coroticus). Thomas O'Loughlin's engaging yet scholarly reflections on these fifth-century texts lead us into a greater understanding of the mind of Patrick, the man, believer and missionary. Explanatory notes woven through the translations illuminate a very different world and time; it is not long before we realize, however, that Patrick's theology is no less relevant to our own.
Thomas O'Loughlin (b. 1958) is the Professor of Historical Theology in the University of Nottingham (UK). His first major piece of research was on the role of astrology in the development of Augustine of Hippo's life and thought. This was followed by a study of the use and exegesis of the Book of Genesis in the Latin West between the death of Augustine (430) and 800. This resulted in his PhD and was published as 'Teachers and Code-Breakers: The Latin Genesis Tradition' (Turnhout 1998). Since then he has worked on several other projects on the early churches, and in particular the place of liturgy and exegesis in their development.
O'Loughlin's work focusses on the theme of how Christians continually recycle their past to make sense of their present situation, and in this process Christianity gradually changes, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. He has written over 200 academic articles published in specialist journals in the fields of early and medieval theology, the history of exegesis, and liturgy - and in 2010 he was awared a DD for this publsihed work. In his books has tried to share this scholarship wiht a wider readership.
Over the years he has directed twelve (at last count) PhD students to successful completion, and all these theses have been publsihed! 'These scholars' he remarked recently in an article 'are doing far more to change the face of historical theology than I ever could in my own writings.'
He is also editor of the series of studies of the evolution of Christian tradition known as Studia Traditionis Theologiae, published by Brepols.
