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Theology Student Resources

Saint Louis University and the Department of Theological Studies offer numerous opportunities for SLU's theology students beyond the classroom, including scholarships and awards.

The department has also established rubrics, reading lists, and other resources for graduate students preparing for exams and dissertations.

Mev Puleo Scholarship in Latin American Theology and Culture

Mev Puleo (1964-1996) was an educator, photojournalist and social change activist. A 1985 graduate of Saint Louis University, she used photographs and interviews to draw attention to the struggles and aspirations of the poor. Puleo had a special love for the people of Latin America and traveled extensively to Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico and Haiti. Puleo's vocation of advocacy, education and art was tragically cut short by a malignant brain tumor; she died in January 1996 at the age of 32. Her parents, Peter and Evelyn Puleo, established the Mev Puleo Scholarship in Latin American Theology in her honor.

The Mev Puleo Scholarship combines formal study and experiential learning to foster awareness and understanding of the people, religion, and culture of Latin American countries. It is the hope of Peter and Evelyn Puleo that, like Mev Puleo, the recipients will become advocates for social justice.

Undergraduate Theology Experience

Theology Student Awards

Every year, the Department of Theological Studies recognizes three outstanding undergraduate students. Awards include the James D. Collins Award for Excellence, the Sister Mary Antona Ebo Award, and the Claude Heithaus, S.J. Award.

James D. Collins Award for Excellence

The College of Arts and Sciences annually presents the James D. Collins Award for Excellence in Student Academic Achievement to recognize scholarship and creative achievements among undergraduate students across the college. A graduating senior who is majoring in theology receives one of these awards. 

Sister Mary Antona Ebo Award

A senior who has demonstrated excellence both in their academic work and in their commitment to promoting faith and justice in the spirit of the Gospels receives the Sister Mary Antona Ebo Award. Sister Mary Antona Ebo (1924–2017) was one of the first Black women to enter the Sisters of Saint Mary when she joined the order in 1946. In 1965, she gained national attention when she marched with Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights activists in Selma, Alabama, declaring to reporters, “I am here because I am a Negro, a nun, a Catholic and I want to bear witness."

Despite having been initially denied admission to nursing school because of her race, Sister Ebo obtained a graduate degree from Saint Louis University and honorary doctorates from Loyola University Chicago, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Aquinas Institute of Theology, and Saint Louis University, among others. Sister Ebo’s commitments to the pursuit of knowledge and the pursuit of justice in her life of faith guided her through decades of civil rights work, including service on the Human Rights Commission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and work on the streets of Ferguson during the protests that followed the killing of Michael Brown.

Claude Heithaus, S.J. Award

The Claude Heithaus, S.J. Award is given to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and desire to pursue advanced study in theology or religion. Claude Heithaus (1898–1976), a native of St. Louis, attended Saint Louis University before joining the Society of Jesus in 1920. He obtained a doctorate in archaeology from the University of London and then returned to St. Louis to join SLU’s faculty in 1930 as a professor of classical archaeology.

In February 1944, inspired by recent events in St. Louis, Father Heithaus gave a homily at College Church calling for the integration of SLU, which had refused to admit Black students, including Black Catholic students. The homily eventually cost Heithaus his position at SLU but ignited changes throughout the archdiocese and at SLU, which admitted five Black students in the summer of 1944. Father Heithaus’ homily advanced a theological argument for racial integration, applying his deep learning to a problem that was at once theological and social. In so doing, he demonstrates how a life of the mind constantly confronts the challenges of human experience and is best fulfilled when it meets those challenges with integrity and conviction.

Theology Club

SLU’s Theology Club provides an opportunity for undergraduate students and faculty to share ideas, questions and passions for theology in an informal and social environment. It holds regular discussions, sponsors lectures and helps plan an annual undergraduate conference.

The Theology Club is not restricted to theology majors and minors. Any student or faculty member with an interest in theology is welcome. Religious believers, unbelievers, agnostics and seekers are all welcome. The Theology Club examines the following questions:

  • What do I really want?
  • What am I called to do?
  • What does a life of flourishing look like?
  • How do I develop good relationships?
  • What is the place of silence and technology in my life?
  • How do I make sense of suffering and evil?
  • Am I called to work for peace and justice?
  • What do I believe?
  • How might I navigate difficult moral questions?
  • How might I discern the presence of God in my life?

Graduate Theology Resources

M.T.S./M.A.R.E.Resources (PDFs)

Ph.D. Resources (PDFs)