Faculty

Office Location
723 E. Boone Ave.

Office Hours
Fall 2013
Sabbatical

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Michael Maher entered the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1975. Fr. Maher followed a typical course of Jesuit formation that included humanities, philosophy and theology interspersed with various teaching assignments which included teaching 7^th and 8^th grade science to Native Americans in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, English at Sogong University in Korea, religion to boys in Omaha, Nebraska as well as teaching positions at Marquette University and Saint Louis University. A few years after ordination, he began doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota majoring in early modern European history with additional studies in Chinese History. Fr. Maher has co-edited a book on confraternities and written several articles and book chapters dealing with the implementation and influence of Jesuit practices on various groups. In recognition of his scholarship, Fr. Kolvenbach, then superior general of the Jesuits, appointed Fr. Maher to the Jesuit Historical Institute. Fr. Maher holds this membership in addition to his current position as associate professor of History at Gonzaga University as well as chair of the department of History and the Director of Catholic Studies.

Office Location
AD 431J

Office Hours

Fall 2013
Tuesday & Thursday 1:00-2:30 p.m. 2nd floor Catholic Studies
House  723 E. Boone Ave.
Wednesday 9:00-10:00 am  office College Hall 431J
and by appointment

Eric Cunningham has been teaching at Gonzaga since 2003. A specialist in modern Japanese history, Cunningham also teaches courses in world and East Asian history, and regularly teaches seminars in the Catholic Studies Program.

This year (2013-14), Cunningham will serve as the interim director of the Catholic Studies program while Fr. Michael Maher is on sabbatical.

Cunningham earned a BA in History from the University of Colorado in 1984, an MA in East Asian Languages and Literatures from the University of Oregon in 1999, and a PhD, History, also from the University of Oregon in 2004. Dr. Cunningham's other areas of scholarly interest include intellectual history, popular culture, psychedelia, postmodernism, literary critical theory, consciousness studies, Zen Buddhism, and eschatology.