Matthew Motyka, S.J.

Associate Professor and Director of the French Studies program. He has a PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures from UC Berkeley. He earned an MA in Philosophy of Religion from Heythrop College of the University of London, and a M.Div. from the Jesuit School of Theology at GTU, Berkeley.

After the completion of his doctorate he entered the Jesuits. As a part of his Jesuit formation he earned an MA in Philosophy of Religion from Heythrop College of the University of London (for which he wrote a the thesis entitled "A Quest for a Poetics of Goodness in Plato and Aristotle"), and a M.Div. from the Jesuit School of Theology at GTU, Berkeley.

During his years of Jesuit formation he also taught Romance languages and literatures at the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. He did summer internships as an ESL instructor in China and Poland. He also taught classes at the San Quentin state prison on "Jesus in the Movies," "Gandhi and Jesus," and the Rite of Christian Initiation. A few weeks ago he completed a pastoral practicum as a chaplain at the Catholic chapel of San Quentin.

Matthew's current interest focuses on foreign language pedagogy as a theological reflection on the world's diversity. He looks for ways in which theology, spirituality, and culture rather than business might be motivating forces behind the foreign language curriculum in U.S. liberal arts colleges. As well as serving as the Coordinator in French for the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Matthew also teaches French and Italian language courses at USF.

• Foreign language pedagogy as a theological reflection on the world's diversity

• Coordinator in French for the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

• PhD, Romance Languages and Literatures, UC Berkeley
• MA, Philosophy of Religion, Heythrop College of the University of London
• M.Div., Jesuit School of Theology, GTU Berkeley

• Motyka, Matthew J (2016) One Word but Many Tongues: Confessions of a Multiculturalist, Hamilton Books