Brian J. Shanley (born July 7, 1958), is an American priest of the Order of Preachers, who began his tenure as the 18th President of St. John's University in New York on February 1, 2021.

Previously, he was the president of Providence College in Rhode Island from 2005 to 2020.^[1]

Shanley was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, on July 7, 1958,

After completing undergraduate studies in history at Providence College in 1980, he earned a licentiate degree in philosophy from The Catholic University of America in 1984.^[2] He also earned a Master of Divinity in 1986 and a licentiate degree in sacred theology in 1988 from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.^[2]

Shanley was ordained to the priesthood as a member of the Dominican Order of Preachers in 1987.^[3]

Shanley served as an instructor in philosophy at Providence College from 1988 to 1991.^[2] He earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1994 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Notre Dame's Center for Philosophy of Religion.^[2]

He served as a philosophy professor at the Catholic University of America from 1994 to 2005^[1] was a visiting professor at Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Fall 2002.

In 1999, he was named to the Board of Trustees of Providence College.^[3]

Shanley previously served as both an associate editor and editor of The Thomist and as a member of the editorial board for the International Journal for Philosophy of Religion. His research interests include Thomas Aquinas, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, medieval philosophy, and ethics. He was also a member of the executive committee of the American Catholic Philosophical Association

During his time as President of Providence College from 2005 to 2020, he also served as regent of studies for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, during which time he held a seat on the Provincial Council, a body of 12 Dominican Friars serving as cabinet-level advisors to the prior provincial. He advised the Prior Provincial on all matters pertaining to the intellectual and academic life of the province.

On March 29, 2019, Shanley announced that, while the Providence College Board of Trustees had recommended that he serve another 5-year term, the Prior Provincial would not be making him available to do so. As a Dominican Friar, he accepted his superior's decision and concluded his service as President of Providence College at the end of his third term on June 30, 2020.

Shanley assumed the office of President of St. John’s University in New York in February 2021.

Shanley is an opera aficionado, enjoys golf, and practices xingyiquan martial arts.^[4]