Matthew Cuff
Doctoral Candidate
Biography
Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Matt earned a bachelor's degree in theology and philosophy from Fordham University before receiving a Master of Theological Studies from Boston College's Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough School of Theology and Ministry in 2022. His dissertation, “Intelligence Moved by Mercy: Ignacio Ellacuría's Hermeneutics of Socio-Political Change,” examines the mystical-political thought and praxis of the martyred Salvadoran Jesuit philosopher and theologian Ignacio Ellacuría. The project explores the continuing relevance of liberation theology for contemporary political discourse by bringing Ellacuría's work into conversation with ongoing social and political challenges. Matt's broader research interests include the relationship between theology, mysticism, and political engagement; the theology and philosophy of Karl Rahner and Johann Baptist Metz; and the history, development, and contemporary reception of liberation theology in both the church and society. Before beginning graduate studies, Matt worked in Washington, D.C., in the Office of Justice and Ecology of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. There he engaged in federal advocacy, education, and coalition-building on issues including criminal justice reform, immigration, U.S. policy in Central America, poverty, and Native American and First Nations policy. Matt has also served in advisory and leadership roles for several Catholic social justice organizations, including as a board member of the Ignatian Solidarity Network and as an advisory board member for the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and the Ignatian Volunteer Corps of Northeastern Pennsylvania.