Craig A. Ford, Jr.

Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies

B.A., University of Notre Dame
M.A.R., Yale Divinity School
P.H.D., Boston College

Programs: Theology and Religious Studies

Craig A. Ford, Jr., is Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Saint Norbert College, where he teaches courses in Christian Ethics; Race, Gender and Sexuality; and Ecclesiology while also serving as co-director for the peace and justice interdisciplinary minor. He is also on the faculty at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies— hosted at Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation’s only Catholic HBCU— where he teaches courses on Black Theology as well as on topics in moral theology from a Black perspective. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School and Boston College, Dr. Ford writes on topics at the intersection of queer theory, critical race theory and the Catholic moral tradition. His current book project, titled “Works of Art: Sexuality, Gender, Race and a New Theology of Embodiment,” is currently under contract with Fortress Press, and he is working on an edited work, funded by a grant from the Louisville Institute, that will go on to represent perspectives on the future of theology told exclusively from the perspectives of queer Catholic theologians of color. 

Considering himself a scholar-activist, Dr. Ford’s work bridges the academy and a wider popular audience, with publications in professional outlets like the Journal of Moral Theology as well as in popular outlets like Commonweal Magazine and the National Catholic Reporter. Dr. Ford is also sought out as a workshop leader on issues of racial, sexual and gender justice, working not only with Catholic parishes but with other colleges, universities and professional bodies, including most notably with the Association of Catholic College and Universities (ACCU) as its inaugural speaker for its Consoritum for Senior Diversity Officers in Catholic Higher Education.

Recognized for his leadership at St. Norbert College, Dr. Ford, in 2021, was the recipient of the St. Norbert College Founder’s Award, which honors members of the St. Norbert College community who embody the personal, intellectual and spiritual values of the Norbertine tradition of education. The next year, in 2022, Dr. Ford was honored not only with the Beloved Community Social Justice Award, but also with the Donald. B. King Distinguished Scholar Award. Beyond St. Norbert College, Dr. Ford has also been honored with the 2022 “Future 15” Award from the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce, which recognizes the region's most promising young professionals. And, most recently, Dr. Ford received the 2022 Catherine Mowry LaCugna Award, which recognizes the author of the best essay in theology by a younger member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the largest body of theologians in the world.