Biography
Dr. Rondolino is Associate Professor of Philosophy. He teaches courses in Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Cross-cultural Studies. His scholarship focuses on the comparative cross-cultural study of hagiographical narratives and religious communities’ dynamics of legitimation. He is a strong advocate for trans-disciplinary equitable collaboration, in research as well as in teaching. He helped integrate this principle into the American Academy of Religion’s Comparative Hagiology Seminar, of which he is a co-founder, and established it as the guiding ethos of Carroll University’s Honors Program, which he directed until 2023.
Scholarly and Professional Achievements
Books
“Titles, Taxonomy and Other Methodical Matters: A Radical Approach to Comparative Hagiology” in Thaúmata: Critical and Underrepresented Perspectives on Hagiography and Hagiographic Studies edited by Aitor Boada Benito, Brill, forthcoming 2025
(with Pascale Engelmajer) “Notes from the Field: A Radical Experiment in the Collaborative Teaching of Mindfulness in Honors Education” in Honors in Practice, Vol. 20 (https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchchip/409), 2024
“Teaching the Critical Comparative Study of Religion as Engaged Global Citizenship” in Teaching Theology and Religion, Vol. 28, N. 1-2 (https://doi.org/10.1111/teth.12674), 2024
(editor) Religions. Comparative Hagiology Vol. II: Issues in Pedagogy (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/FJ9IA56V04), 2024
“Regime Change as Opportunity: A Case for a Radically Inclusive Response” in Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, Vol. 24, N. 1 (https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1770&context=nchcjournal), 2023
Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Hagiographical Strategies. A Comparative Study of the Standard Lives of St. Francis and Milarepa, Routledge (https://www.routledge.com/Cross-Cultural-Perspectives-on-Hagiographical-Strategies-A-Comparative/Rondolino/p/book/9781472479051), 2017
Recipient of the 2018 Frederick J. Streng Book Award for Excellence in Buddhist-Christian Studies (https://www.society-buddhist-christian-studies.org/frederick-j-streng-award)
Articles
“The Scholar and the Repa: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on a Contemporary Chan Response to The Life of Milarepa” in Buddhist Literature as Philosophy, Buddhist Philosophy as Literature edited by Rafal Stepien, SUNY, 2020
“Introduction: Comparative Hagiology, Issues in Theory and Method” in Religions. Special Issue: “Comparative Hagiology: Issues in Theory and Method” (https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/4/158/htm), 2020
“Some Foundational Considerations on Taxonomy: A Case for Hagiography.” in Religions. Special Issue: “Comparative Hagiology: Issues in Theory and Method” (https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/10/538/htm), 2020
(with Samantha Seybold) “Conforming Beasts and Compliant Princesses: A Radical Appraisal of Disney's 1990s Americana Rhetoric” in Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art. Special Issue, Vol. 7, N. 2: 95-110 (https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/10.1386/vi.7.2.95_1), 2018
“Spies like U.S.: American Rhetoric and the Jennings Family” in The Americans and Philosophy edited by Kevin Guilfoy, Open Court Publishing, 2017
“Prolegomena to a Comparative Reading of The Major Life of St. Francis and The Life of Milarepa” in Buddhist Christian Studies, Vol. 15: 163-180 (https://muse.jhu.edu/article/604407/pdf), 2015
Encyclopedia Entries
(co-editor, with Aaron Hollander) “Holy Persons” in Bloomsbury Medieval Studies, Bloomsbury Publishing (https://www.bloomsburymedievalstudies.com/encyclopedia-chapter?docid=b-9781350990005&tocid=b-9781350990005-070-0000009&pdfid=), 2021
(with Aaron Hollander) “Thematic Overview: Holy Persons” in Bloomsbury Medieval Studies, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021
“Francis of Assisi” in The World's Greatest Religious Leaders. How Religious Figures Helped Shape World History edited by Scott Hendrix and Uchenna Okeja, ABC-Clio Publishing: 193-198 (https://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOGreenwood/product.aspx?pc=A4935C), 2018
“Dominique de Guzman” in The World's Greatest Religious Leaders: 150-155
“Peter Valdes” in The World's Greatest Religious Leaders: 697-701
“Tsongkhapa” in The World's Greatest Religious Leaders: 676-680
Book Reviews
“A Review of Catholicism and Buddhism. The Contrasting Lives and Teachings of Jesus and Buddha by Anthony E. Clark” in Buddhist Christian Studies, Vol. 39: 353-356, 2019
“A Review of Considering Comparison. A Method of Religious Studies by Oliver Freiberger” in Reading Religion (http://readingreligion.org/books/considering-comparison), 2019
“A Review of Religion, Theory, Critique: Classic and Contemporary Approaches and Methodologiesby Richard King (ed.)” in Reading Religion (http://readingreligion.org/books/religion-theory-critique), 2018
“A Review of Theory in a Time of Excess: Beyond Reflection and Explanation in Religious Studies Scholarshipby Aaron W. Hughes (ed.)” in Reading Religion (http://readingreligion.org/books/theory-time-excess), 2017
“A Review of Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism: Contemplative Universals and Meditative Landmarks by Kenneth Rose” in Reading Religion (http://readingreligion.org/books/yoga-meditation-and-mysticism), 2017
“A Review of The Yogin & the Madman: Reading the Biographical Corpus of Tibet's Great Saint Milarepa by Andrew Quintman” in Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 22 (http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/), 2015
What is your teaching style?
Baywatch: I let students swim, ready to dive at the rescue (although without the inappropriately revealing red swimsuit).
Why do you do what you do?
Because I just have too much fun doing it.
How do you make learning engaging?
Passion, passion, and a little bit more passion.
What should students know about you?
Some say that I am a good listener, and some say that I am a challenging and demanding teacher. Be warned – but know that you will not be left to drown (remember… Baywatch!).