Joseph Stoutzenberger spent fifty years in education. For over twenty-five years, he was a Professor of Religious Studies at Holy Family University in Philadelphia. He taught religious studies and served as Director of Campus Ministry at Manor College, Jenkintown, PA. He taught in the Catechist Preparation Program for the Diocese of Camden, NJ, and conducted workshops on parent-teen communication for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

He received his M. A. and Ph.D. in religion from Temple University and a master’s degree in religious education from Loyola University, Chicago. He has actively participated in interreligious dialogue activities, contributing to several books, such as Removing Anti-Judaism from the Pulpit and Interfaith Dialogue at the Grass Roots. He serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Peace Islands Institute and has lectured on Catholic perspectives on the Hizmet movement.

He has written textbooks for Catholic high schools and books on world religions and spirituality for adults. He has authored or co-authored three books on St. Francis of Assisi, most recently on Francis and nature. He has written study guides on Ukrainian Catholicism for the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma. Stoutzenberger lives in Erdenheim, PA, with his wife, Mary, with whom he shares numerous children and grandchildren.