Donald Jonathan (Don) Briel (January 28, 1947 – February 15, 2018) was an American theologian and academic known for promoting an integrated study of the liberal arts and the Catholic intellectual tradition. He was born in Ventura, California, and over several decades helped shape programs that connect theological reflection with undergraduate education.
Career and major roles
Briel held several prominent academic positions. From 1993 until 2014 he served as Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, where he occupied the Koch Chair of Catholic Studies. In August 2014 he accepted the Blessed John Henry Newman Chair of Liberal Arts at the University of Mary in Bismarck, continuing his work on liberal education from a Catholic perspective. His career combined teaching, program development, public lectures and published essays on Catholic higher education.
Contributions and approach
Briel emphasized the integration of faith and reason, arguing that liberal arts curricula can be shaped by the Catholic intellectual tradition without sacrificing academic rigor. He founded institutional structures—centers, chairs, and curricula—designed to form students intellectually, spiritually and morally. His approach commonly involved collaboration between theology, philosophy, literature and the arts to cultivate a coherent educational vision.
Influence and legacy
The Center for Catholic Studies he established at the University of St. Thomas became a reference point for similar initiatives at other colleges and universities. Colleagues and former students credit him with helping to renew interest in Catholic liberal education and with mentoring scholars who continued work in teaching, administration, and scholarship. Briel's writings and program models remain resources for those shaping Catholic studies and liberal arts programs.
Notable facts and remembrance
- Founder and long-time director of the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas.
- Held named chairs: the Koch Chair of Catholic Studies and the Blessed John Henry Newman Chair of Liberal Arts.
- His work focused on connecting academic study to the Catholic intellectual and cultural tradition.
Briel died of leukemia on February 15, 2018, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is remembered by peers and institutions for his efforts to integrate faith and scholarship and for creating enduring models of Catholic higher education.