Msgr. John F. Wippel earned a B.A and an M.A in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in 1955 and 1956, as well as an STL there in 1960. After spending the1960-1961 year as an Instructor in the School of Philosophy at Catholic University, he was granted a two-year leave of absence to pursue doctoral studies in philosophy at l’Université Catholique de Louvain, which he completed in April, 1963 and received the Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1965 after publishing an article based on his dissertation. He resumed teaching in the School of Philosophy in September, 1963 and rose through the ranks becoming an Ordinary (Full) Professor in 1972, and was named Theodore Basselin Professor of Philosophy in 2001. He also was awarded a postdoctoral degree in Philosophy from Louvain in 1981, based on a book entitled The Metaphysical Thought of Godfrey of Fontaines, and was given an honorary Doctorate of Letters by the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto in 2005.

Wippel has specialized in metaphysics and the philosophy of human nature in the 13^th century, especially at the University of Paris, and in addition to concentrating on Thomas Aquinas and Godfrey of Fontaines, has dealt with several other later 13^th century thinkers and various controversies and Condemnations of that time. He has published several other books including Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas (1984), Boethius of Dacia: On the Supreme Good, On the Eternity of the World, On Dreams (1987), Medieval Reactions to the Encounter between Faith and Reason (1995), The Metaphysical Thought of Thomas Aquinas: From Finite Being to Uncreated Being (2000), Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas II (2007). He has also edited, coauthored, or coedited several other books and numerous articles and book chapters.

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