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Tradition and Innovation at Catholic Universities: Ideas From the Bernard Lonergan
Donna Teevan
(pp.308-319) Volume 7, Number 3; March 2004
This article discusses applications of Lonergan’s thinking on tradition and innovation to the world of Catholic education. Even now, at the beginning of the 21st century and 20 years after his death, it is worthwhile to explore his understanding of tradition and innovation, with attention to how it related to the Catholic intellectual culture of his own time, and more importantly, how it might contribute to an understanding of the identity of Catholic educational institutions in today’s period of great transition. In recent years, faculty members and administrators at Catholic universities have been engaged in many discussions about the Catholic intellectual tradition and Catholic higher education. Most of the attention in these conversations has gone to the issue of what it means to be Catholic. The next step is to explore what it means to have a tradition. Thus, this essay examines the usefulness of one leading 20th century Catholic intellectual’s approach to tradition as it relates to Catholic education in general and to Catholic universities in particular.
Ecology and Mary: An Ecological Theology of Mary as the New Eve in Response to the Church’s Challenge for a Faith-Based Education in Ecological Responsibility
Gloria J. Thurmond
Seton Hall University
(pp.27-51) Volume 11, Number 1; Sept 2007
The Church’s interpretation of the current ecological crisis as a moral crisis is the catalyst for this essay, which proposes a newly constructed faith-based model for ecological dialogue and education. The exploration and reinterpretation of the traditional Church doctrine of the Virgin Mary as the new Eve provides a theme from which an ecological theology of Mary is constructed. Papal and Episcopal statements that call for a moral concern and response to the growing urgency of the ecological crisis are discussed in order to promote awareness of the involvement of the Church’s leadership in the issue. Analyses and interpretations by scholars in the second century Church on the doctrine of Mary as the new Eve are presented and reinterpreted to create a viable model with the potential to nurture ecological awareness and responsibility in the contemporary Church. The construction of an ecological Marian theology is approached through review and analysis of the 1974 visionary pastoral letter of Pope Paul VI, Marialis Cultus (To Honor Mary), the writings of Catholic feminist theologian and Sister of St. Joseph Elizabeth Johnson, Catholic Ecuadorian-American theologian Jeanette Rodriguez, and those of other major feminist, womanist, and liberationist theologians.
The Role of Research in Catholic Education
Karen L. Tichy
(pp.79-82) Volume 1, Number 1; Sept 1997
Perceptions of Faculty Members in Selected Catholic High Schools Regarding North Central Association School Improvement Models
Karen L. Tichy
(pp. 295-311) Volume 2, Number 3, March 1999
This article discusses a study which compared faculty members’ perceptions regarding the North Central Association (NCA) evaluation process based on format used (conventional, individualized, or outcomes) and school type (diocesan or private). Data were collected on the independent variables of format, school type, and prior NCA experience. The dependent variables were respondents’ ratings on a seven-point Likert-type scale regarding the mechanics of self-study, faculty ownership, relevance to local and professional concerns, improvement generated, and the results of participation. The author concluded with the following recommendations: (1) more time for conducting the self-study; (2) more clarification of the evaluation process, especially the outcomes format; (3) additional examples of exemplary self-studies; (4) greater attention to designing the self-study, developing faculty leadership, sustaining faculty motivation, and developing specific action plans; and (5) increased emphasis on student learning.
Responses to the Vatican Document: Consecrated Persons and Their Mission in Schools
Sr. Mary Peter Traviss, OP
Dale R. Hoyt
Timothy P. Green
Jennifer A. Koweiski
(pp. 117-130) Volume 7, Number 1; Sept 2003
To advance the discussion and study of this most recent document, the editors invited select Catholic educators to offer reflections, observations, and critiques of Consecrated Persons and Their Mission in Schools. While each contributor responds from an individual background and a unique set of experiences, the following essays help us to appreciate how the document is being received and interpreted in different educational settings.
Ensuring the Catholicity of the Church’s Schools:
The University of San Francisco Responds to the Challenge
Mary Peter Traviss, OP & Gini Shimabukuro
(pp. 334-342) Volume 2, Number 3, March 1999
The most successful graduate program for the training and formation of Catholic school administrators is without a doubt the Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership (ICEL) at the University of San Francisco. This article describes the history and current structure of the ICEL program and provides a replicable model for other Catholic colleges and universities with the institutional commitment to offer graduate degree programs for Catholic school leaders.
Models of Theological Reflection: Theory and Praxis
John Trokan
(pp. 144-158) Volume 1, Number 2; Sept 1997
This paper explores the theory and practice of using theological reflection in teaching theology. Specific models of theological reflection, teaching methodologies, and learning outcomes are analyzed and discussed.
Incarnational Immersion-Based Learning in Cultural Contexts: A Charity Model
John Trokan
(pp. 134-151) Volume 9, Number 2; Dec 2005
The Religious Pastoral Studies and Behavioral Sciences Departments of a Midwestern college have collaborated in offering academic courses in theology and anthropology that include service immersion experiences with people of diverse cultures in South Dakota, North Carolina, New Mexico, Kentucky, and Honduras. This paper explores the incarnational dimension of immersion experiences between native peoples and college students. Using a contextual theology model, students and faculty from various social science and religious studies disciplines reflect with native people on the historical and contemporary elements of their culture and spirituality. This paper discusses the historical development of the immersion courses, methodology, curriculum design, student learning objectives and outcomes, incarnational value formation in Sisters of Charity charisms, and future directions.
The Catholic University in Modern Academe: Challenge and Dilemma
James Turner
(pp. 252-262) Volume 1, Number 3; March 1998
How can the Catholic university reconstruct itself to bring the resources of Catholic tradition to bear on our common task of rebuilding the house of learning? The Catholic university needs to inhabit the domain of secular learning and Christian knowledge. The participation of Catholic intellectual and universities in the postmodern dialogue will benefit the entire intellectual community.
Catholic Intellectual Traditions and Contemporary Scholarship
James Turner
(pp. 35-45) Volume 2, Number 1; Sept 1998
The Catholic university can make a natural home for experimenting with the foundations of knowledge because Catholic scholars retain faith in a God who created the universe and human reason as a reliable God-given instrument for comprehending this creation. The central question is: How can the Catholic university reconstruct itself to bring the resources of Catholic tradition to bear on our common task of rebuilding the house of learning? Our common problem is the fragmentation of knowledge. The Catholic university needs to inhabit the domains of both secular learning and Christian knowledge. The participation of Catholic intellectuals and universities in the postmodern dialogue will benefit the entire
intellectual community.
The Sacred and the Secular: Aligning a Marianist Mission with Professional Standards of Practice in an Educational Leadership Doctorial Program
Darla J. Twale & Carolyn S. Ridenour
(pp. 181-196) Volume 7, Number 2; Dec 2003
This inquiry was conducted to explore how the characteristics of our university’s religious mission are interwoven into our educational leadership doctoral program and are manifest in the structure and learning experiences that our students encounter. We examined how these characteristics might correspond to or relate to the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards that resulted from national reform initiatives in educational leadership in the mid 1990s. We concluded that the foundations of the PhD program are built solidly on the distinctive characteristics and identity of our founders and are aligned with these professional standards as well. Implications for universities include our conclusion that when the distinctive mission of a university aligns with the professional standards of a field, more effective leadership preparation will result.