MOLESKI, Martin X. 1952-

PERSONAL: Born August 21, 1952, in Allegany, NY; son of Desmond D. (a physician) and Ruth (Gabriel) Moleski. Education: Boston College, B.A., 1973; Fordham University, M.A., 1977; Catholic University of America, Ph.D., 1991. Politics: "Pro-life." Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Radio-controlled airplanes, NASCAR auto racing.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14208. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Ordained Roman Catholic priest of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits; S.J.), 1973—; high school teacher in New York, NY, 1976-78; Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY, assistant professor of religious studies, 1988-90; Canisius College, Buffalo, NY, associate professor of religious studies, 1990—.

MEMBER: American Academy of Religion, Polanyi Society.

WRITINGS:

Personal Catholicism: The Theological Epistemologies of John Henry Newman and Michael Polanyi, Catholic University of America Press (Washington, DC), 2000.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A biography of Michael Polanyi; research on theological epistemology.

SIDELIGHTS: Martin X. Moleski told CA: "The Enlightenment idea of an idea—clear, distinct, propositional, atomic, unchanging, and undeniable—coupled with a model of reason derived from mathematics and the physical sciences—rigid, formal, demonstrative, and explicit—has reached a dead end because there is so much more to life than we can put into words. I seek to develop the post-critical vision of John Henry Newman and Michael Polanyi. Because neither thoughts nor things can be fully articulated, we always see more than we can say and know more than we can tell. This is a modest, realistic appraisal of knowing. We know enough to know how little we know."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

ONLINE

Martin X. Moleski Web site,http://www2.canisius.edu/~moleski (August 10, 2003).