Richard Thomas Nolan
Encyclopedia
The Rev. Dr. Richard Thomas Nolan (born May 30, 1937, Waltham, MA
; dual citizenship in the Republic of Ireland, 2011 ) is a canon
of Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut
and a former college professor of philosophy
and religious studies
. He is the editor/coauthor of The Diaconate Now (Corpus-World, 1968), and coauthor of Living Issues In Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 1995), Living Issues in Ethics (Wadsworth 1982 and iUniverse 2000), and Soul Mates: More than Partners (online, 2004). Nolan is also the editor of a non-commercial, educational website philosophy-religion.org. His books have been translated into several languages, including Indonesian
and Chinese
.
; he then enrolled at The Tabor Academy
in Marion, MA
. Nolan received his bachelor's degree from Trinity College
in 1960. Following his graduation from Trinity, Nolan continued his studies in divinity at Hartford Seminary
, receiving his Masters in Divinity in 1963. During his time at Hartford Seminary, he also held his first position as an instructor in Latin
and English
at Watkinson School
in Hartford, CT. Shortly after completing his studies at Hartford, he was ordained a deacon at Christ Church in June 1963 in Waltham, MA. He was ordained a priest in June 1965 at St. John's, in Arlington, MA.
Nolan received his master's in Religion from the Yale University Divinity School
in 1967; during his studies, he was also an instructor in math and religion, and associate chaplain at the Cheshire Academy
from 1965 to 1967. In 1967 Nolan accepted a position as an instructor of philosophy and education at the Hartford Seminary Foundation, and in 1968 was promoted to the position of Assistant Dean.
Nolan continued to expand his responsibilities; in 1969 he accepted a position as an instructor at the Mattatuck Community College in Waterbury, CT. Meanwhile, Nolan was completing his Ph.D. studies at New York University
, where he was granted a Doctor of Philosophy in Religion in 1973. Nolan remained an instructor at Mattatuck for many years, becoming an associate professor in 1974, and a full professor of philosophy and social sciences in 1978. He held his post at Mattatuck until 1992. In the intervening years, Dr. Nolan also held adjunct and/or visiting professor positions at Trinity College
, Long Island University
, the University of Miami
, St. Joseph College, Pace University
, and many others. Nolan continued teaching at the University of Connecticut
, Hartford Graduate Center, and Central Connecticut State University
until he retired in 1994. Despite retirement, he continued to teach part time at Broward Community College
, Barry University
, Florida Atlantic University
, and Palm Beach Community College
as recently as 2002.
In 1992, Nolan was named a retired honorary canon for life at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, CT. He also holds posts as pastor emeritus for St. Paul's Parish, in Bantam, CT (since 1988), member of the society of regents at Cathedral Church St. John the Divine (since 2002), retired priest-in-residence at St. Andrew's Church in Lake Worth, FL (since 2002), and professor emeritus at Mattatuck Community College, in Waterbury, CT.
Nolan has been the author and editor on numerous books, including The Diaconate Now (Corpus-World, 1968), Living Issues in Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 1995), and Living Issues in Ethics (Wadsworth 1982 and iUniverse 2000). His books have been translated into several languages, including Indonesian
and Chinese
. Since 2000, Nolan has been the editor of the website philosophy-religion.org, a reference on philosophy and religion topics and papers, used internationally and recommended by Yale University
and several other colleges and universities in the United States
and beyond.
in 1955, Nolan met his life partner, Robert C. Pingpank. Throughout their lives, they were forced to hide their relationship due to the potential of losing their jobs. During a career change for both in 1967, the couple finally moved in together into a unique two-family house designed by Pingpank, so that they could live together, yet maintain separate addresses and phones. This allowed them to maintain their relationship while avoiding challenges to their careers; they lived in this home until their retirement in 1994, when they moved to Florida. The couple has been profiled in The LGBT Religious Archives Network, and the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (a recently established center of the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California).
Richard Nolan and Robert Pingpank were married legally at age 72 on June 4, 2009, in the Trinity College
Chapel, Hartford, CT
. Nolan and Pingpank reside in Pompano Beach, FL, and are active in Lambda Legal, Compass of West Palm Beach, and Integrity Palm Beach.
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
; dual citizenship in the Republic of Ireland, 2011 ) is a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
and a former college professor of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and religious studies
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
. He is the editor/coauthor of The Diaconate Now (Corpus-World, 1968), and coauthor of Living Issues In Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 1995), Living Issues in Ethics (Wadsworth 1982 and iUniverse 2000), and Soul Mates: More than Partners (online, 2004). Nolan is also the editor of a non-commercial, educational website philosophy-religion.org. His books have been translated into several languages, including Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
.
Education and professional career
Richard Nolan is a 1954 alumnus of the Boston Latin SchoolBoston Latin School
The Boston Latin School is a public exam school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is both the first public school and oldest existing school in the United States....
; he then enrolled at The Tabor Academy
Tabor Academy
Tabor Academy is a highly selective independent preparatory school located in Marion, Massachusetts, United States. Tabor is known for its marine science courses...
in Marion, MA
Marion, Massachusetts
Marion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,123 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.-History:...
. Nolan received his bachelor's degree from Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
in 1960. Following his graduation from Trinity, Nolan continued his studies in divinity at Hartford Seminary
Hartford Seminary
Hartford Seminary is a theological college in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.-History:Seminaries in the city of Hartford date back to 1833. In 1913, the current Hartford Seminary came into existence through the combination of three Hartford-based schools affiliated with the city's Congregationalist...
, receiving his Masters in Divinity in 1963. During his time at Hartford Seminary, he also held his first position as an instructor in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
at Watkinson School
Watkinson School
Watkinson School is a private coeducational day school in Hartford, Connecticut. Watkinson is situated on Bloomfield Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut, adjacent to the University of Hartford and serves students from sixth through 12th grade...
in Hartford, CT. Shortly after completing his studies at Hartford, he was ordained a deacon at Christ Church in June 1963 in Waltham, MA. He was ordained a priest in June 1965 at St. John's, in Arlington, MA.
Nolan received his master's in Religion from the Yale University Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
in 1967; during his studies, he was also an instructor in math and religion, and associate chaplain at the Cheshire Academy
Cheshire Academy
Cheshire Academy is a college preparatory school located in Cheshire, Connecticut. Founded in 1794 as the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut, it was the tenth private academy founded in the United States....
from 1965 to 1967. In 1967 Nolan accepted a position as an instructor of philosophy and education at the Hartford Seminary Foundation, and in 1968 was promoted to the position of Assistant Dean.
Nolan continued to expand his responsibilities; in 1969 he accepted a position as an instructor at the Mattatuck Community College in Waterbury, CT. Meanwhile, Nolan was completing his Ph.D. studies at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, where he was granted a Doctor of Philosophy in Religion in 1973. Nolan remained an instructor at Mattatuck for many years, becoming an associate professor in 1974, and a full professor of philosophy and social sciences in 1978. He held his post at Mattatuck until 1992. In the intervening years, Dr. Nolan also held adjunct and/or visiting professor positions at Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
, Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
, the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, St. Joseph College, Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
, and many others. Nolan continued teaching at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, Hartford Graduate Center, and Central Connecticut State University
Central Connecticut State University
Central Connecticut State University is a state university in New Britain, Connecticut, United States.The school was moved to its present campus in 1922...
until he retired in 1994. Despite retirement, he continued to teach part time at Broward Community College
Broward Community College
Broward College, previously known as "Broward Community College", is a state college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., and part of the Florida College System. It was established in 1959 as part of a move to broaden Florida's two-year community college system...
, Barry University
Barry University
Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....
, Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
, and Palm Beach Community College
Palm Beach Community College
Palm Beach State College is a member institution of the Florida College System,a public state college located in Lake Worth, Florida. Palm Beach State College was formerly known as Palm Beach Community College and before that Palm Beach Junior CollegePalm Beach State College enrolls more than...
as recently as 2002.
In 1992, Nolan was named a retired honorary canon for life at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, CT. He also holds posts as pastor emeritus for St. Paul's Parish, in Bantam, CT (since 1988), member of the society of regents at Cathedral Church St. John the Divine (since 2002), retired priest-in-residence at St. Andrew's Church in Lake Worth, FL (since 2002), and professor emeritus at Mattatuck Community College, in Waterbury, CT.
Nolan has been the author and editor on numerous books, including The Diaconate Now (Corpus-World, 1968), Living Issues in Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 1995), and Living Issues in Ethics (Wadsworth 1982 and iUniverse 2000). His books have been translated into several languages, including Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
. Since 2000, Nolan has been the editor of the website philosophy-religion.org, a reference on philosophy and religion topics and papers, used internationally and recommended by Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and several other colleges and universities in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and beyond.
Personal life
While attending Trinity College (Connecticut)Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
in 1955, Nolan met his life partner, Robert C. Pingpank. Throughout their lives, they were forced to hide their relationship due to the potential of losing their jobs. During a career change for both in 1967, the couple finally moved in together into a unique two-family house designed by Pingpank, so that they could live together, yet maintain separate addresses and phones. This allowed them to maintain their relationship while avoiding challenges to their careers; they lived in this home until their retirement in 1994, when they moved to Florida. The couple has been profiled in The LGBT Religious Archives Network, and the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry (a recently established center of the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California).
Richard Nolan and Robert Pingpank were married legally at age 72 on June 4, 2009, in the Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
Chapel, Hartford, CT
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Nolan and Pingpank reside in Pompano Beach, FL, and are active in Lambda Legal, Compass of West Palm Beach, and Integrity Palm Beach.
Works
- The Significance of the Religious Thought of Edmond La B. Cherbonnier for a Basic Objective for Religious Education, Dissertation, New York University, 1973.