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Why Does Integrating Faith and Reason Matter?
One of the great effects of John Paul II’s encyclical of 1998, Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), is that some Catholic universities began thinking again about the integration of faith and reason. Many at these institutions read and studied the document. And in some cases, the language of “faith and reason” became part of…
Read MoreStones for Bread
What role should identity politics play in the life of a Catholic university—in its central activities of teaching and learning—and in its secondary aspects, its co-curricular activities and the presentation of itself to the larger world? Much of a person’s self-understanding develops with increasing complexity over the course of that person’s life. The sources and…
Read MoreFoundations for a “Theology of Student Success”
In the realm of higher education—and education more broadly conceived—the language of “student success” has become ubiquitous. In its more limited sense, this phrase refers to retention, timely graduation, and job placement rates. Appropriately, broader definitions and discussions aim to clarify the larger purposes of the work undertaken by professors, administrators, and staff. And admirably,…
Read MoreWho am I? Expressive Individualism and Catholic Higher Education
“Who am I?” At some point, every student (and every person) will ask this question. How we answer that question will determine the course of our lives. And if we have a role in helping our students answer that question, it would be difficult to exaggerate our responsibility. We must do our best to get…
Read MoreWhat is Catholic Education?
Though it would be difficult to come up with a definition of Catholic education on which everyone would agree, we can begin by offering one for consideration: “Catholic education proposes to form the whole person—mind, heart, and hands—for flourishing in this life and the next.” Note two essential features: this definition places the complete and…
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