Richard Peter McBrien (August 19, 1936 – January 25, 2015) was a Catholic priest, theologian, and writer who was the Crowley-O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame near South Bend, Indiana.

Prior to going to Notre Dame, McBrien taught at Boston College, where he was director of the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

[5] McBrien's scholarly interests included ecclesiology, the relationship between religion and politics, and the theological, doctrinal, and spiritual aspects of the Catholic Church.

[2] Catholicism does not bear nihil obstat or imprimatur declarations from the church that state the book is free of moral or doctrinal error.

[12][13] The review itself elaborates, "It is intended as a handy reference for students or journalists who need a quick and succinct explanation of some Catholic term or practice."

The better ones include Revelation, Apostolic Succession, Conciliarism, Faith, Hell, Heresy, Homosexuality, Immortality, Inerrancy, Justification, Magisterium, Mary, Purgatory, and the Vicar of Christ.

McBrien denied having plagiarized, and John Cavadini, chair of Notre Dame's theology department, dismissed the charges raised by the society, which he described as a "militant, right-wing Catholic interest group".

[15] In September 2009, McBrien published an article in the National Catholic Reporter in which he criticized the practice of eucharistic adoration by calling it "a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward".

"[17][9] During a 1992 talk in Indianapolis, he criticized "current discipline on obligatory celibacy and the ordination of women" and challenged Catholics to take far more seriously the teachings of the church on social justice, service, and evangelization.

[9] In 2012 McBrien told The National Catholic Reporter, "If there are any reasons for the bad patch the church is now going through, it is the appointments to the hierarchy and the promotions within made by John Paul and Benedict.