Thomas Cahill
Encyclopedia
Thomas Cahill is an American
scholar and writer
. He is best known for The Hinges of History series, a prospective seven-volume series in which the author recounts formative moments in Western civilization.
to Irish-American parents and raised in Queens
and the Bronx, Cahill was educated by Jesuits and studied ancient Greek and Latin. He continued his study of Greek and Latin literature, as well as medieval philosophy, scripture and theology, at Fordham University
, where he completed a B.A. in classical literature and philosophy in 1964, and a pontifical
degree in philosophy in 1965. He went on to complete his M.F.A. in film and dramatic literature at Columbia University
in 1968.
In anticipation of writing The Gifts of the Jews, Cahill studied scripture at Union Theological Seminary
in New York, and spent two years as a Visiting Scholar at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
, where he studied Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible
. He also reads French and Italian. In 1999, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Alfred University
in New York. Cahill has been a contributor to Irish America magazine
.
Cahill has taught at Queens College, Fordham University, and Seton Hall University
, served as the North American education correspondent for the Times of London, and was for many years a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times Book Review. Prior to retiring to write full time, he was the Director of Religious Publishing at Doubleday for six years. He and his wife, Susan, also an author, divide their time between New York and Rome
.
Cahill's most recent book, A Saint on Death Row: The Story of Dominique Green (March 2009), is a departure from The Hinges of History series. It is both the story of Dominique Green, a young man from Houston who was on Death Row
in Texas
, and the impact knowing him had on Cahill. Cahill first heard about Green from Judge Sheila Murphy, the former Presiding Judge of the Sixth Municipal District Circuit Court of Cook County
in Illinois
, who was working on the appeal of the case. She requested that he visit Green, which he did in December 2003. So impressed was Cahill with Green that he joined the ultimately unsuccessful fight for Green's life, even enlisting Green's hero, Archbishop Desmond Tutu
, to make an historic visit to Dominique and to plead publicly for mercy. Green, thirty, was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas
on October 26, 2004 after 12 years on Death Row.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scholar and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is best known for The Hinges of History series, a prospective seven-volume series in which the author recounts formative moments in Western civilization.
Biography
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Irish-American parents and raised in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and the Bronx, Cahill was educated by Jesuits and studied ancient Greek and Latin. He continued his study of Greek and Latin literature, as well as medieval philosophy, scripture and theology, at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, where he completed a B.A. in classical literature and philosophy in 1964, and a pontifical
Pontifical
Pontifical may refer to the Roman Pontifical, a Roman Catholic liturgical book used by a bishop.When used as an adjective, Pontifical may be used to describe things related to the office of a bishop, such as the following:*Solemn Pontifical Mass...
degree in philosophy in 1965. He went on to complete his M.F.A. in film and dramatic literature at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1968.
In anticipation of writing The Gifts of the Jews, Cahill studied scripture at Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
in New York, and spent two years as a Visiting Scholar at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, where he studied Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
. He also reads French and Italian. In 1999, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Alfred University
Alfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
in New York. Cahill has been a contributor to Irish America magazine
Irish America magazine
Irish America magazine is a bi-monthly periodical that aims to cover topics relevant to the Irish in North America including a range of political, economic, social, and cultural themes. The magazine’s inaugural issue was published in October 1985...
.
Cahill has taught at Queens College, Fordham University, and Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
, served as the North American education correspondent for the Times of London, and was for many years a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times Book Review. Prior to retiring to write full time, he was the Director of Religious Publishing at Doubleday for six years. He and his wife, Susan, also an author, divide their time between New York and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
The Hinges of History & Other Writings
To date, the Hinges of History series includes the following five best-selling books:- How the Irish Saved CivilizationHow The Irish Saved CivilizationHow The Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe is a non-fiction historical book written by Thomas Cahill....
: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe (1995) - The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (1998)
- Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus (2001)
- Sailing the Wine Dark Sea: Why The Greeks Matter (2004)
- Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe (2006)
Cahill's most recent book, A Saint on Death Row: The Story of Dominique Green (March 2009), is a departure from The Hinges of History series. It is both the story of Dominique Green, a young man from Houston who was on Death Row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and the impact knowing him had on Cahill. Cahill first heard about Green from Judge Sheila Murphy, the former Presiding Judge of the Sixth Municipal District Circuit Court of Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, who was working on the appeal of the case. She requested that he visit Green, which he did in December 2003. So impressed was Cahill with Green that he joined the ultimately unsuccessful fight for Green's life, even enlisting Green's hero, Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
, to make an historic visit to Dominique and to plead publicly for mercy. Green, thirty, was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area....
on October 26, 2004 after 12 years on Death Row.
Complete Bibliography
- Big City Stories by Modern American Writers, with Susan Cahill, Bantam, 1971
- A Literary Guide to Ireland, with Susan Cahill, Scribner, 1973
- Looking for Books: How to Find Hard-to-Find Books, Ampersand, 1988
- Jesus' Little Instruction Book, Bantam, 1994
- How the Irish Saved Civilization, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 1995
- The Gifts of the Jews, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 1998
- Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 1999
- Pope John XXIII, Viking, 2002
- Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2003
- Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe, Available in hardcover from Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2006
- A Saint on Death Row, from Nan A. Talese/Random House, March 2009
External links
- Official site | ThomasCahill.com
- Thomas Cahill in conversation with Margaret Atwood at the New York Public Library, December 1, 2006.
- Thomas Cahill on Bill Moyers Journal November 9, 2007
- The New York Times articles about Thomas Cahill