29 April 1969 – 16 April 2024
Catholic Theological College, University of Divinity is deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected passing of our colleague, teacher and friend, Dr Christopher William Morris, who died on Tuesday 16 April 2024. Chris’ recent positions at CTC have been Senior Lecturer in Christian Spirituality and Head of Department of Pastoral and Spiritual Care.
After some years’ teaching in Catholic secondary schools, Chris worked as a curriculum advisor with the Catholic Education Office Melbourne. In 2014 he joined the CTC faculty, lecturing in the field of Christian Spirituality while completing his doctoral dissertation entitled The Cross Now Rooted Breaks In Bloom: A Study of Bruno Barnhart’s Wisdom Knowing and Wholeness in Christian Life. Chris was nominated a Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar in his graduating class of 2021. Working closely with the late Rev Professor Austin Cooper OMI, Chris began coordinating the Christian Spirituality courses at CTC, as well as the Graduate Certificate in Teaching Meditation, a program developed in conjunction with Catholic Education agencies to assist teachers in the nurturing of students’ spiritual life.
Chris was a transformational educator, whose impact on faculty colleagues and students will be long remembered. He had a passion for all dimensions of Christian spirituality, its history, practice, experience, artistic and cultural expression. And he was highly skilled in leading others into a new appreciation of their personal spiritual dimension as well as the rich resources of spiritual life to be found in the Christian tradition. Chris was developing research interests arising from his doctoral work on wisdom traditions and the relationship between Christian meditation and mindfulness, and had recently worked on the intersection of trauma studies and spirituality.
Chris served on many committees and panels of CTC and the University of Divinity. He was a member of the CTC Academic Board for several years. He has contributed to University panels on Supervised Theological Field Education, on Wellbeing and Flourishing, and the development of spiritual care awards. He is a fondly-regarded colleague across the colleges and schools of the University and beyond.
Chris was a Board Member of the International Relations Committee of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, a Member of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, a Member of Meditation Association of Australia. His long involvement in Christian meditation circles has led to many close friendships in various communities, including the Sancta Sophia Meditation Community in Melbourne.
The Senate, Staff and Students of Catholic Theological College, and the entire community of the University of Divinity, extend our profound sympathy and prayerful support to Chris’ wife, Louise, his beloved daughters Evie and Agatha, and his siblings Liz, Stephen (deceased), John, Jane, Pauline, Margie and Tom and their families. We will deeply miss Chris’ personal and academic presence, his creativity and enthusiasm, his care and humour.
You might like to view or read the following by Christopher Morris: