About Us

Dr. Daniel J. Olsen, Director

Dr. Daniel J. Olsen

Daniel J. Olsen is the Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago.  As Ecumenical Officer, he represents the archdiocese in various ecumenical and interreligious settings and furthers the Catholic Church’s commitment to religious dialogue in Chicago.  He was awarded a Ph.D. in Constructive Theology from Loyola University Chicago (2008).  His doctoral dissertation, Living Bridges: Interchurch Families as Domestic Church, explored the giftedness and pastoral challenges faced by faithful Christian mixed marriage families.  He is a fellow of the Christian Leadership Initiative, a collaborative project of the American Jewish Committee and the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and represents the archdiocese on the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago.
 

Book Chapters/Journal Articles:

Revisiting Pope Saint John Paul II’s Call to Dialogue 25 Years Later – June 3, 2020 (Link)

“Signs of Union: Interchurch Families in a Fragmented World,” in Sex, Love, and Families: Catholic Perspectives, Jason King and Julie Hanlon Rubio, ed., Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press Academic, 2020.

“Educating Ecumenically: Interchurch Families as Unique Pedagogical Models”, in Being One at Home: Interchurch Families as Domestic Churches, Thomas Knieps-Port le Roi and Ray Temmerman, ed., Berlin, Lit Verlag, 2015.

“Interchurch/Interreligious Marriage”, as found in Your Marriage: Sacramental Preparation Resource, Deb Meister, ed., Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publications, 2015.

“Interchurch Children as Bilingual Christians,” The ARK: A Publication of the American Association of Interchurch Families, 21.5 (Oct. 2010), 2-5.

Presentations:

“Persecuted Christians: The Challenge and How We Can Support Them,” Panel Presentation at the University of Illinois at Chicago, hosted by St. John Paul II Newman Center – UIC, Nov 18, 2019.

“The Gifts and Challenges of Interchurch Marriage for Christian Unity,” Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Address, January 25, 2019, The Center for Pastoral Leadership at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Cleveland, OH. (PDF)

“Interchurch Families and the American Dream: Convergences and Challenges,” Panel Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the College Theology Society, June 2, 2017, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI. (PDF)

“Educating Our Children: Opportunities and Challenges from a Faith-Based Perspective,” Plenary address at the Annual Muslim-Catholic Iftar, July 6, 2015, Islamic Prayer Center of Orland Park, IL. (PDF)