Eugene Carl Bianchi, May 5 1930-December 18 2022
Gene would have been 95 today. Here is a small excerpt from his biography at Encyclopedia.com. For the complete biography of Gene’s decades of writing for publication visit: https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/bianchi-eugene-carl-1930
PERSONAL: Born May 5, 1930, in Oakland, CA; son of Natale and Catherine (Mangini) Bianchi. Education: Gonzaga University, B.A., 1954, M.A. (cum laude), 1955; Catholic University of Louvain, S.T.L. (cum laude), 1962; Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary, Ph.D., 1966.
CAREER: Jesuit priest of California Province, 1961-68; resigned from order, 1968. St. Ignatius High School, San Francisco, CA, teacher, 1955-58; America, New York, NY, assistant editor, 1963-66; University of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA, assistant professor of theology and director of Center for the Study of Contemporary Values, 1966-68; Emory University, Atlanta, GA, associate professor of religion, 1968—. Visiting summer professor at University of San Francisco, 1966, and Stanford University, 1969; Distinguished Visiting Professor, California State University, Sacramento, 1975.
MEMBER: American Society of Church History, American Academy of Religion, Religious Education Association, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.
SIDELIGHTS: Eugene Bianchi’s books reflect his career as a former Jesuit priest and as a professor of religion. In 1983 he published Aging As a Spiritual Journey. This work discusses the aging of America—as people live longer, the elderly population rises, leaving in its wake a spate of sociological and economic issues. Bianchi, the review continued, urges a more religious and contemplative attitude regarding the final years of one’s life. “But he may be over-optimistic in thinking that most people approach their last hour with religious thoughts and sentiments,” Dooley said. The work contains the thoughts of more than twenty religious scholars, leading Commonweal’s John Deedy to state that while the sampling may be limited in scope, the interviews “are the most interesting part of the book.” “Persuasive” is the word another Commonweal writer, John Shea, used to characterize Aging As a Spiritual Journey.
On a related topic, Bianchi published On Growing Older: A Personal Guide to Life after Thirty-Five. As the title implies, the work guides readers through exercises and meditations (such as “picture yourself as an elderly individual”) designed to engender understanding of and empathy for aging people and their concerns.
In addition Bianchi contributed about forty articles and many reviews to periodicals, including America, Catholic World, Church History, Commonweal, Ecumenist, National Catholic Reporter, and Incunable (Madrid).
