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Evangelization and the Catholic University
In a recent conversation with a friend about our university’s mission, I found myself feeling a bit like Ulysses, facing the twin dangers of Scylla on my right and Charybdis on my left (but thankfully, with no Wandering Rocks in sight). The question was twofold. Scylla On the one hand, how is our university different…
Four Fathers of the Core Renewal
If Dante may be permitted to place the Trojan Ripheus in Paradiso—Ripheus having been baptized more than a thousand years before Christ and sponsored by the theological virtues Faith, Hope, and Charity—perhaps we might be allowed the license to imagine the baptism of the renewed Core at the University of St. Thomas. If so, who…
Solidarity as the Basis of Community in University Life
It is common to speak of “community” when discussing our academic institutions. As Christians, we often hear the resonances between “community” and “communion” and allow these resonances to summon the suggestion of a sacramental vision of the classroom and the activities we undertake therein (as well as in other places on campus). But another angle…
What is the Primary Activity of a Catholic University? Intellectual Charity (Properly Understood)
Amid all of the good things that take place at a flourishing Catholic university, what is the essential activity that sets it apart from other Catholic institutions – such as Catholic hospitals, charities and parishes – and other universities that are not Catholic? In this year’s inaugural “Formation for Mission” seminar for new faculty and…
Resisting the Reduction of Catholic Higher Education
In a previous post, we considered how we might fruitfully read the Church’s magisterial documents on education. This post is a first attempt to apply some of the principles outlined there. It would seem that Catholic education—including Catholic higher education—is always about more than we think it is. And it is good to have both…
The Symphony of Wisdom (or How Should We Interpret Magisterial Teachings About Catholic Education?)
In over a decade of conversations about magisterial teachings regarding Catholic higher education, I’ve found that there are often two conversations happening at the same time, a kind of polyphonic discourse unfolding simultaneously. These conversations are “polyphonic” in that on the surface (and in the center) of the dialogue, we were discussing the content of…