A professor of theology

McKenna Snow
Class of 2024

(9/2021) In the fall of my freshman year at the Mount, I was placed in an intro-level Catechism course. I was highly interested in the Theology major the Mount offered, so this class was a good place to start. I came into the class hoping for an in-depth exploration of the Catechism, as well as challenging and yet fruitful assignments.

Fortunately, the class not only met my hopes but exceeded them and helped solidify my inclination to major in Theology. I knew from the experience of this course that I wanted to go deeper in the study of the Catholic Church and God’s relationship with man. The course content was very well-paced and well-presented; and the presenter, or professor, himself was especially admirable.

This course was taught by Dr. Barrett Turner, Associate Professor of Theology with tenure at the Mount. His teaching style was interactive, allowing students to ask and answer questions, and he provided ample responses to them. He was attentive and interested in learning the names of all the students, understanding their viewpoints, and teaching in a way that met each student where they were in regard to theological topics. During the year, I worked for the Theology Department as a work study student and was lucky to have conversations with Dr. Turner outside the classroom that allowed me to ask him my often-lengthy questions regarding the week’s lectures and other questions I had about the Church. These conversations have been formative and helpful in my development as a theology major with an interest in writing and researching.

Dr. Turner lives in Emmitsburg with his wife and seven children. In an interview I conducted with him, Dr. Turner spoke about some of his favorite aspects of the area and the University. "The Mount, which of course did not always have an interstate running through it, remains a place of retreat for formation in God’s truth for the sake of leaving to serve and love God and those made in His image in the world," he explained to me. "The connection between work and family, university and town has been healthy for my family. We attend Mass most often at the Seton Shrine, sitting near the bones of St. Elizabeth herself. We can even walk there depending on the weather." The Seton Shrine is a beautiful church about five minutes from the Mount campus, and many Mount students love to attend Mass there as well.

Dr. Turner explained, "I began at the Mount as an assistant professor of theology in August 2015, right out of my doctoral studies at the Catholic University of America… My work is to teach Catholic theology at the undergraduate level to lay students, and to contribute to theological research through publishing." He has been a helpful guide to me regarding internships I have looked into as an editor for Catholic publishers and has helped me learn more about the various ways a theology major with an interest in writing can pursue his or her talents.

Regarding how a typical workday goes for him, Dr. Turner said that "it does vary according to the teaching schedule and with a large family. I try to remain flexible to help out at home as much as possible. A typical teaching day could be rising around 6:30, coffee and reading Sacred Scripture, getting ready for the day, going into the Mount to teach, Mass and/or lunch. The afternoon is devoted to office hours, grading, answering emails, and perhaps some writing/editing a publication I am working on for an hour or less. In the evening, I will go home and eat dinner with the family and have time with them, plus [pray the] Rosary."

I come from a family with eight children, and I can attest to the importance of spending time together as a whole family, especially around dinner, and in making time to pray together. I find Dr. Turner’s dedication to his family, and always being intentional about making time for them despite his busy schedule as a professor very impactful; his vocation as a father is an inspirational sight.

In regard to why theology is an important aspect to the Mount’s curriculum, Dr. Turner said, "As St. John Henry Newman famously argued in his Idea of the University, no institute of higher education can be a university without the discipline of theology. Without an intellectual encounter with He Who Is, how can one tie together the investigation of all the things that are? This is why we teach theology: to know God and to know the world in relation to God."

In a question about advice offered to those interested in this field, Dr. Turner suggested to "be prepared to go through your graduate education for its own sake, because you will likely not find a position teaching theology at a Catholic university these days… it is not a rewarding career from the perspective of temporal goods. The lifetime earnings are low, though schools often have retirement plans and tuition benefits for children." I found this to be such an honest, and actually encouraging statement about the nature of a theologian; it iterated Dr. Turner’s expression on why teaching and studying theology occur in the first place: "to know God and to know the world in relation to God."

Dr. Turner reflected that it was incredibly hard work to arrive at his current position at the Mount, and none of it would have been possible without "the providence of God." Dr. Turner stated, "I have the great privilege of teaching theology as a layman. I am so happy to do this, even despite the obstacles and trials."

I took a higher-level theology course taught by Dr. Turner this summer which I sincerely enjoyed, and I am excited to take a bioethics course taught by him this fall. As someone pursuing theology, I am inspired by Dr. Turner’s witness and am so thankful for all the guidance he has provided for me as I move along with my studies.