Dr. Dominiek Lootens

Professional Appointments

Dr. Dominiek Lootens is head of the Centre for Dialogue at the Riedberg Campus in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. For twenty years, he worked for Caritas Flanders as a pastoral supervisor and professional educator for chaplains and healthcare workers.

Research and Publications

Dr. Dominiek Lootens is author of Open to the Full Dimension: Thomas Merton, Practical Theology, and Pastoral Practice (Wipf and Stock, 2022).

Professional Service

He maintains an active role in professional leadership as an international advisor of the International Thomas Merton Society. This position allows him to contribute to global professional discourse and foster international educational collaboration.

Professional Interests

His professional focus spans several interconnected areas:

• Sustainability and Eco-Justice
• Interfaith Dialogue
• Adult Education
• Community Building
• Cross-cultural Dialogue and Communication

Professional Impact

Through events, podcasts, lectures and workshops, Dr. Dominiek Lootens keeps Thomas Merton’s thought and writings alive and resonant in our world today.

Prof. Dr. Cristobal Serran-Pagan y Fuentes

Academic Appointments

Dr. Cristobal Serran-Pagan y Fuentes is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at Palacky University in Olomouc, the Czech Republic. He taught at U.S. Universities for the past 24 years.

Research and Publications

He is author of Saint John of the Cross: His Prophetic Mysticism in the Historical Context of Sixteenth Century Spain and Merton and the Tao. He has presented numerous papers at different Merton conferences and has publications both in the Merton Seasonal and the Merton Annual. He is a former Daggy scholar and a fellow William Schannon scholar.

Professional Service

He is currently serving as the editor of a new special issue entitled Mysticism and Nature for Religions.

Research Interests

His academic focus spans several interconnected areas:

• Philosophy of Religion
• Study of World Religions
• Interfaith Dialogue
• Comparative Mysticism
• Eco-Spirituality and Social Justice

Academic Impact

As editor of special issues for Religions, he has published two volumes on Spanish Mysticism and Mysticism and Social Justice.

Dr. Marcela Maria Raggio

Academic Appointments

Dr. Raggio currently serves as Tenure Professor of American and British Literature at Cuyo National University in Mendoza, Argentina. She is also a distinguished Fellow Researcher at Argentina’s National Council for Scientific Research (CONICET), where she has developed expertise in poetic translation studies.

Research and Publications

A noted scholar in translation studies and comparative literature, Dr. Raggio is the author of “Thomas Merton, el monje traductor” (Thomas Merton, the translator-monk). Her work has been featured in prestigious publications including the Merton Seasonal and the Merton Annual, as well as various journals focusing on literature, translation, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Professional Service

Dr. Raggio maintains an active role in academic leadership as a Board member of the International Thomas Merton Society, where she previously served as International Advisor. This position allows her to contribute to global scholarly discourse and foster international academic collaboration.

Research Interests

Her academic focus spans several interconnected areas:

• Comparative Literature
• Translation Studies, with emphasis on translation as a tool for peace-building and cross-cultural understanding
• Latin American Literature
• Spirituality and Social Justice
• Cross-cultural Dialogue and Communication

Academic Impact

Through her work at both Cuyo National University and CONICET, Dr. Raggio has made significant contributions to the field of translation studies and comparative literature. Her research particularly emphasizes the role of translation in fostering peace and understanding across cultural boundaries, demonstrating the practical applications of literary studies in promoting global dialogue.

Join our community of scholars, contemplatives, and activists working toward:

• Interfaith dialogue
• Ecological consciousness
• Educational transformation
• Contemplative practice

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