Daniel P. Burns, Ph.D.

Daniel P. Burns, Ph.D. was appointed the Director of Lay Ministry Programs and Lay Formation at Notre Dame Seminary in July, 2023. As the director, Dr. Burns directs, promotes, and develops the Institute for Lay Ecclesial Ministry (ILEM) and the Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership (MAPL) programs. Dr. Burns is a lifelong resident of Louisiana, earned his B.A. in Philosophy from St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, LA. in 1997. He then earned an M.A. in Theology from Notre Dame Seminary in 2004. He continued his graduate studies and earned a Ph.D. in Theology from Loyola University Chicago in 2011. He is married to his lovely wife, Christi, and together they have four children and reside in Covington, LA, where he has been an active parishioner of St. Peter Parish since 2007. As a theologian and higher education administrator, Dr. Burns has spent most of his career in seminary formation, first as theologian and Chief Academic Officer of St. Joseph Seminary College since 2007, and now at Notre Dame Theological Seminary. His particular research interests are Theological Anthropology, Christology, monastic spirituality, and vocations and the states of life. Recent publications include “College Seminary: a Defense” and “The Limits of Self-sacrificial Love: Ecclesiastical Obedience in the Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar.” Both of these articles were published by the Institute of Priestly Formation.