Rev Dr Michael O'Sullivan

Dr Michael O’Sullivan is Founding Director and the Treasurer of the Spirituality Institute for Research and Education (SpIRE - https://spiritualityinstitute.ie/), a Research Fellow at the University of the Free State, South Africa, a Fellow of the European Institute for Spirituality in Economics and Society, and a founding member of the Spirituality in Society and the Professions (SpirSoP) Research Group at South East Technological University (SETU). He has degrees in Social Science, Philosophy, and four degrees in theology up to PhD level. All his degrees before his PhD were achieved with first place and first class honours and his PhD was approved without modifications. He also has training and experience in spiritual accompaniment, counselling, and community development.

He worked as a Jesuit missionary priest in Chile during the reign of General Pinochet. For his story in those years go to YouTube: ‘A Jesuit with the People’ (2018). See also about his story in the interview he did with the Irish Jesuits Communications Director in June 2025 following his return visit to Chile that year: https://jesuit.ie/podcasts/returning-to-chile/ He has also worked in Mexico, Central America, and East Africa and among socio-economically disadvantaged people in Dublin, Ireland.

Having worked originally as a specialist in liberation theology and feminist theology Dr O'Sullivan has dedicated himself since the early years of the millennium to the development of spirituality as an applied academic discipline. From 2005-2021 he was Programme Director or Programme Leader of the unique MA in Applied Spirituality which he did so much to design, develop and to lead through approval processes in different third level institutions, including SETU. He has served in many other leadership roles to do with the spread and development of the discipline and his current roles include serving on the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality (INSS - https://spiritualitystudiesnetwork.org/), the editorial boards of Spiritus and the Journal for the Study of Spirituality, two of the world's leading journals for the study of spirituality, and as President of the international Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality. He is the Links Coordinator for INSS with organisations engaged in spirituality study and research in a host of countries (https://spiritualitystudiesnetwork.org/page-1075347), and has lectured in many countries. See  the section at the end of his profile on the SETU staff profile page - https://www.setu.ie/staff/michael-osullivan - where testimonials are provided about his  standing in the field of spirituality studies according to world leading scholars in the discipline,

https://jesuit.ie/news/a-privilege-to-be-part-of-it/

Report on and extracts from the audio-visual recording of the Silver Jubilee of postgraduate studies and research in applied spirituality, 10 years of which (2016-2026) were with (WIT) SETU.

https://spiritualityinstitute.ie/celebrating-25-years-of-postgraduate-studies-in-applied-spirituality/

The full audio-visual recording of the Silver Jubilee, available on the SpIRE website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynj5v22abyU

Interview with the Human Rights Museum in Santiago, Chile, about Dr O'Sullivan's experience as a missionary in Chile (1982-1984) during the military dictatorship.

Dr O'Sullivan has taught a great variety of modules at doctoral, masters, and undergraduate level. He has taught various modules in the MA in Applied Spirituality curriculum at what is now South East Technological University, having co-authored the programme, co-led it through its approval process, and served as founding programme leader from 2016-2021. He has taught a great variety of modules in theology, philosophy, sociology, and spirituality in various third level colleges. His teaching includes modules taught in the MA in Applied Spirituality in other third level colleges besides SETU during his years in those colleges as director for those programmes. Currently he is developing authentic subjectivity as a methodology for teaching and researching spirituality in higher education. 

Dr O'Sullivan is a founding member of SpirSoP and runs the spirituality research book club of SpirSoP. Through study of books in the field of spirituality and the professions members get to share with each other about such literature, to develop their own thinking and research on the subjects, and to grow into a community of co-learners with each other. Through his many international leadership roles in the field of spirituality studies Dr O'Sullivan is making linkages between SpirSoP and organisations and colleagues in the field of spirituality studies around the world. For example, he was the lead organiser and Conference Chair for the 7th biennial conference of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality which was held in SETU in May 2023. The conference attracted particpants from 25 countries and 5 continents and was the most significant conference in the field of spirituality studies to ever take place in Ireland. He was also a member of the organising committee for the two previous international conferences in the field of spirituality studies and research held at SETU (2018 and 2019). At a spirituality studies conference in Australia in 2023, which he had a significant role in bringing about, he was introduced as "probably the most networked scholar in the field of the study of spirituality in higher education". His own research interests include the academic study of spirituality, spirituality and social concern, spirtuality and childhood, spirituality and the situation of women, and spiritual care.

Courses created or developed

Co-author with Dr Richard Hayes of the MA in Applied Spirituality (WIT); Co-author with Dr Bernadette Flanagan of the MA in Applied Christian Spirituality and the MA in Christian Spirituality, All Hallows College, Dublin City University;

Curriculum development of the MA in Applied Spirituality (WIT / SETU); Curriculum development of the MA in Christian Spirituality and of the Higher Diploma and MA in Applied Christian Spirituality, Milltown Institute (National University of Ireland), 2007-08 and 2004-05, and preparation of programmes for accreditation by the National University of Ireland, 2006, the Higher Education and Training Accreditation Council , 2005, and the National Council for Education Awards, 2001.

A member of the accreditation process team for awards by Milltown Institute for programmes run in New Jersey, Myanmar, England, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, An Chroi, Co Meath, Galway, Ignatian Spirituality Centre, Dublin, and Milltown Institute, Dublin.

University of the Free State, South Africa, Contemplative Leadership Centre, Princeton, NJ, Centre for the Academic Study of Christian Spirituality, University of Zurich, Spiritual Capital and Moral Injury Institute, Madrid and New York, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas, Gregorian University, Rome, Titus Brandsma Institute, Nijmegen

Mass Media

Numerous contributions since 1977 on television, radio, in national and international newspapers, podcasts, and YouTube communications, about issues of faith and justice, including liberation theology, violence against women, the study of spirituality, spiritual capital, and Pope Francis. See, for example, https://spiritualityinstitute.ie/podcasts/  https://spiritualityinstitute.ie/videos/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1mJyLfh1GSes3EaBKCCkKQ https://spiritualityinstitute.ie/interview-with-bernadette-and-michael/ and https://soundcloud.com/user-159567777

https://jesuit.ie/news/a-privilege-to-be-part-of-it/

Report on and links to extracts of the audio-visual recording of the Silver Jubilee celebration of postgraduate studies and research in and from Ireland, including 10 years with SETU.

https://spiritualityinstitute.ie/celebrating-25-years-of-postgraduate-studies-in-applied-spirituality/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynj5v22abyU

Interview with the Museum of Human Rights in Chile about my years as a missionary in Chile (1982-84) during the military dictatorship.