Richard Viladesau

A native of New York, Fr. Richard Viladesau completed his philosophical studies at the Immaculate Conception Seminary (Huntington), and pursued his theological degrees at the Gregorian University in Rome (S.T.L., 1970; S.T.D., 1975). He was ordained a priest at St. Peter’s Basilica in 1969. He taught for twelve years at the Immaculate Conception Seminary before joining the theology faculty at Fordham in 1988. He engages in ministry in both the Latin and Byzantine Ruthenian rites.

His work has centered on philosophical theology, in particular the question of the knowledge of God and the concept of revelation, both in Christian and non-Christian traditions. In recent years he has become known primarily for his contributions to the field of theological aesthetics: theoretical (epistemology of aesthetics) and historical (theology and the arts).

Research interests

• Philosophical (“Fundamental”) Theology
• Comparative Theologies of God (Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam)
• Theological Aesthetics
• Soteriology (Christian and non-Christian)