Come Be Reconciled: Penance Services for Children
Michael D. Balash
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish
(pp.104-114) Vol. 4 No. 1; Sept 2000
Reconciliation is one of the dominant themes of this Jubilee Year 2000. This article explores the theology of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, situates it in an ecclesial context, and offers practical advice for celebrating the sacrament with children. All three forms of the Rite of Reconciliation receive attention, analysis, and critique.
Religious Education in the Prophetic Voice: The Pedagogy of Eileen Egan
Linda L. Baratte
College of St. Elizabeth, New Jersey
(pp. 198-214) Vol. 9 No. 2; Dec 2005
This article offers an overview of the life and work of Eileen Egan, a contemporary and passionate Christian leader whose values can inform religious education today. Peace educators, social activists, service learning directors, and Catholic political leaders have much to learn from her example and zeal.
Teaching Justice after MacIntyre: Toward a Catholic Philosophy of Moral Education
Roger Bergman
Creighton University
(pp. 7-24) Vol. 12, No. 1; Sept 2008
How is the commitment to social justice sustained over a lifetime? This would seem to be a matter of character, and that calls attention to the Aristotelian tradition in ethics. No one provides as much insight into the challenge of the contemporary appropriation of this tradition as Alasdair MacIntyre. Although a moral philosopher rather than a moral educator, MacIntyre’s critique of the failure of the Enlightenment project to construct a rationally based universal ethic, coupled with a critique of the modern nation-state of liberal capitalism as antithetical to the practice of virtue for the common good, provides a challenging if controversial context in which moral educators might think about justice pedagogy today.
Dance as Prayer: Moving the Body to Stir the Soul
Ona B. Bessette, CND
St. Jean Baptiste High School
(pp. 226-236) Vol. 3 No. 2; Dec 1999
Renewal—physical, emotional, and spiritual—is a perennial concern of those in leadership. This article explores the medium of dance as one way to re-energize the spirit. Adopting an incarnational theology, the author articulates a spirituality that is rooted, as all things human must be, in the corporeal.
Complexity, Connections, and Soul-Work
Deborah P. Bloch
University of San Francisco
(pp. 543-554) Vol. 11, No. 4; June 2008
Organizational theory and personal behaviors are both shaped by contemporary thinking and theories regarding spirituality, history, and the order, shape and direction of modern culture. Complexity theory, discussed in this article, offers some helpful insights into appreciating the relationships and connections often overlooked in today’s fast-paced world.
Framing the Principles of Catholic Social Thought
William J. Byron, S.J.
Georgetown University
(pp. 7-14) Vol. 3 No. 1; Sept 1999
Catholic educators received an invitation in 1998 from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops to help forge a working partnership between Catholic education and the tradition of Catholic social thought. Listed are 10 principles that condense the content of Catholic social thought and package it in a way that can be more easily and effectively communicated at all levels of Catholic education.
Examination of the Consultation and Development Process for the Scottish Catholic Religious Education Guidelines
Roisin Coll
University of Glasgow
(pp. 233-250) Vol. 6 No. 2; Dec 2002
This paper examines the construction of the Religious and Moral Education 5-14 Draft Guidelines in Scotland and the Catholic Church’s response to these guidelines. The content and background of this document are explored by examining the process followed by the Review and Development Group for religious education. The reasons for the rejection of this document and the process by which a new document was created are also investigated. Particular attention is paid to the roles played in this process by the laity and the clergy within the Catholic Church through an examination of the perceptions held by individuals involved in the process.
Confession in the Movies: The Transmission of Sacramental Tradition Through Film
Eileen M. Condon
University of Toledo
(pp. 42-56) Vol. 4 No. 1; Sept 2000
Not unlike confessional role-playing among seminarians or pre-sacramental practice sessions between parents and children, cinematic confession scenes re-present Penance as a traditional performance, making a teachable cultural moment out of a rite which, when performed in solemnity, cannot be observed or examined directly by a third party. For this reason, movies can be a useful tool for introducing Catholic penitential belief and practice to students in the secular education classrooms, as the author discovered in working with Catholic and non-Catholic students at the University of Toledo. Confession scenes from six films can be related to themes in medieval exempla, church teachings, and folklore related to the Sacrament
of Penance.
John Tracy Ellis and the Figure of the Catholic Intellectual
Brian Conniff
University of Dayton
(pp. 76-88) Vol. 10 No. 1; Sept 2006
Fifty years after John Tracy Ellis challenged the quality and character of Catholic intellectual life, much work remains to be done. This essay explores Ellis’s original assertions and places them in an overarching historical context that involves Flannery O’Connor and Thomas Merton.
The Ideal of a Catholic Education in a Secularized Society
Stefaan E. Cuypers
Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium)
(pp. 426-445) Vol. 7 No. 4; June 2004
This paper argues that the progressive, revisionist reaction within Catholic education and schooling, as well as within Catholicism at large, to the challenge of modernity is a mistake. In view of modernity’s malaises, it advocates instead the affirmation or reaffirmation of the ideal of traditional Catholicism as the only authentic response for Catholics to modern progress. In order to justify the distinctiveness of a traditional Catholic identity and educational project, the paper offers an outline of a distinctively Thomistic educational philosophy. Its defense of the (re)affirmation of the ideal of traditional Catholic education and schooling in secularized society is neither ultra-conservative nor romantic.
Narrative Theology in the High School Classroom: Teaching Theology through Literature
Louis A. Delfra, C.S.C.
Holy Redeemer Catholic Parish, Portland, Oregon
(pp. 346-374) Vol. 8 No. 3; March 2005
If Jesus taught most frequently through symbol and story, and the early Church passed on his teachings primarily through story, especially the four Gospels, why is today’s Catechesis and theological pedagogy not more informed by “narrative theology” – theology which focuses on the narratives told by Jesus and the Gospels precisely as narratives? This article provides some basic foundations for the discipline of narrative theology, argues for a more narrative approach to theological instruction, and, by way of application, proposes a full year curriculum for high-school students that enables teachers to teach theology through the narratives of both the Bible and secular literature.
What would Newman do? John Cardinal Newman and Ex Corde Ecclesiae
Stephen J. Denig
Niagara University
(pp. 162-174) Vol. 8 No. 2; Dec 2004
John Paul II’s 1990 Apostolic exhortation Ex Corde Ecclesiae and subsequent legislation require those teaching theological disciplines in Catholic Universities to have a mandatum. This article explores the thought of John Cardinal Newman with a view to defending a position, consistent with Newman’s thought, relative to the seeking and acceptance of a mandatum.
Moral Education and Teachers’ Self Perceptions:
Novice Male Teachers in the Catholic High School
Aine Donovan
U.S. Naval Academy
(pp. 441-460) Vol. 3 No. 4; June 2000
This article describes a qualitative study of six Catholic high school teachers, all male and all relatively new to Catholic education. Each subject participated in six hours of ethnographic interviews, yielding a rich description of their self-perceptions, educational competence, and faith background. Teaching as a vocation and moral education emerged as important themes for these teachers and for future study.
Spiritual Formation for catholic Educators: Understanding the Need
Patricia Helene Earl, I.H.M.
Marymount University
(pp. 513-530) Vol. 8 Num. 4; June 2005
This article discusses the need for thoughtful programs of spiritual formation for lay educators who staff Catholic schools. The importance of teacher formation in spiritual growth and in knowledge of the Catholic faith and daily living of the Gospel is highlighted.
Enacting Social Justice to Teach Social Justice: The Pedagogy of Bridge Builders
Karen E. Eifler, Jeff Kerssen-Griep, & Peter Thacker
University of Portland
(pp. 55-70) Vol. 12 No. 1; Sept 2008
This article describes a particular endeavor, the Bridge Builders Academic Mentoring Program (BAMP), a partnership between a school of education in a Catholic university in the Northwest and a community-based rites of passage program for adolescent African American males. The partnership exemplifies tenets of Catholic social teaching, in that it is community-based, justice-oriented and in many ways countercultural. The pedagogy aligns with the goals of service learning; that is, the service extended by university students satisfies a genuine community need, and at the same time affords those engaged in service an opportunity to acquire crucial knowledge, skills, and dispositions to which they would not otherwise have access. Implications for translating this program to other contexts are provided.
Education for Peace and Justice
John L. Elias
Fordham University
(pp. 160-177) Vol. 9 No. 2; Dec 2005
This article explores theoretical and practical issues related to education for peace and justice. It briefly presents educational theories of Plato, Aristotle, John Dewey, and Paulo Freire, recent papal and conciliar teachings, and the work of prominent religious educators. The power of education for aiding in justice and peace education is shown through guiding principles, curricular and methodological arrangements, ways of handling controversial issues, and the effective use of the arts.
Mentorship: Adult Formation for Educators in Catholic Schools
Leona M. English
St. Francis Xavier University
(pp. 398-409) Vol.2 No. 4; June 1999
Catholic history is filled with examples of seasoned believers sharing their faith and witness with younger generations in order to help inculturate them into the ethos of Catholicism. This essay presents a model for mentoring in Catholic schools, arguing that such collaboration is not only institutionally life giving, but also congruent with the stated community-building purposes of the school. Noting that even Jesus sent his disciples out “two by two,” the author describes the spirituality required of teachers as best experienced through sharing.
Working with Gay and Lesbian Students at Catholic Colleges and Universities:
A Student Affairs Perspective
Sandra M. Estanek
Alvernia College
(pp. 151-158) Vol. 2 No. 2; Dec 1998
Controversy often surrounds issues of sexual ethics on campus. This article offers a helpful framework for consideration of one of today’s difficult issues: ministry to gay and lesbian students at Catholic institutions. By demonstrating how one may be faithful to Magisterial teaching, the Gospel command to love, and solid principles of human development and psychology, the author offers concrete steps for establishing and protecting a climate of conversation.
Cognitive Spirituality and Hope in Catholic High School Students
Bruce B. Frey, Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Lisa M. Edwards, & Diane McDermott
University of Kansas, California Polytechnic Institute, University of Notre Dame, &
University of Kansas
(pp. 479-491) Vol. 7 No. 4; June 2004
This study explores the validity of a construct of cognitive spirituality as measured by a recent measure, the Spirituality Index of Well-Being, in a sample of Catholic high school students. Spirituality on this scale is conceptualized as a composite of life scheme (having meaning in one’s life) and generalized self-efficacy. Construct-based validity evidence was produced through factor analysis and examination of correlations between the spirituality scale and subscale scores with scale and subscales on the Children’s Hope Scale, a well-being indicator previously used for this population. In addition, differences between male and female students were found, with females producing higher scores on the life scheme subscale, suggesting a greater sense of meaning in their lives. The Spirituality Index of Well-Being also demonstrated high internal reliability in this sample. It is argued that the goal of Catholic education is education of the whole person and that this conceptualization of spirituality is consistent with that goal. The Spirituality Index of Well-Being appears to be a valid and reliable measure of cognitive spirituality for this population and a useful indicator of student-well-being.
Exploring Values in Catholic Schools
Joseph S. Fusco
Bergen Catholic High School, Oradell, New Jersey
(pp. 80-96) Vol. 9 No. 1; Sept 2005
The past 30 years have been a busy time for Catholic school researchers. Once focused almost exclusively on historical research, Catholic school research in recent years has diversified and multiplied to include new descriptive and comparative studies. This article summarizes the findings of the most significant studies from 1966-2002 concerning values, the Catholic school effect, and apparent sector effects. Suggestions for future research are
also proffered.
Presentations of the Vatican Document: Consecrated Persons and Their Mission in Schools
His Eminence Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski
Congregation for Catholic Education
(pp. 75-87) Vol. 7 No. 1; Sept 2003
In releasing the document Consecrated Persons and Their Mission in Schools, the leadership of the Congregation for Catholic Education offered introductory remarks to contextualize the official publication.
The Catholic School and the quest for Unity
Jeffery Gros, FSC
Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interrelations Affairs
(pp. 380-397) Vol. 2 No. 4; June 1999
Christian unity has been a repeated theme of the papacy of John Paul II. Inspired by Vatican II’s call for a new openness to ecumenical efforts, the Pope has been an outspoken advocate for renewed dialogue among Christian churches. This article analyzes recent efforts and suggests ways in which the Catholic school, through its curriculum, faculty, governing boards, and outreach programs, can contribute to the ecumenical vision of Vatican II.
Awakening Imagination Through Literature
Rita E. Guare
Fordham University
(pp. 204-215) Vol. 3 No. 2; Dec 1999
Great literature can inspire reflection and give birth to transforming grace. Words matter; and because they do, literature often reveals the human condition and suggests avenues for growth and change. This article explores the power of literature to cause a spiritual awakening in school leaders. Several works are discussed as the author leads readers into deeply poetic reflections on the possibility of healing and redemption through reading.
Religion and U.S. Culture
James L. Heft, S.M.
University of Dayton
(pp. 153-169) Vol. 4 No. 2; Dec 2000
After reviewing the history of the interplay between religion and culture in the U.S., this article explores important facets of contemporary American society that color the experience and meaning of religious faith. Among these are excessive individualism, a heightened awareness of the need for personal integrity, and the desire for personal religious experience. While religion is often treated as a “classroom pariah” at universities, the author argues that there are numerous possibilities for a more full integration of religion into university life and overall American culture.
The Meaning of the Mandatum: A Report on the Dialogue Between One Archdiocese and a Catholic University Faculty of Theology
James L. Heft, S.M.
University of Dayton
(pp. 491-497)Vol. 6 No. 4; June 2003
In response to John Paul II’s Apostolic constitution, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, the bishops proposed a number of requirements, which were approved by the Vatican. One of the requirements was that Catholic theologians teaching courses in Catholic theology request a mandatum from their local bishop. This article examines the mandatum and its impact on Catholic higher education in general and on one university in particular.
Catholic Education and Social Justice
James L. Heft, S.M.
University of Dayton
(pp. 6-23) Vol. 10 No. 1; Sept 2006
Catholic institutions of higher learning compete mightily for students, faculty, and research dollars with other colleges and universities. Yet, the history and tradition of many Catholic institutions offer a unique faith perspective from which to understand and appreciate the role of the Catholic university as serving the common good. Catholic social teaching is an essential part of the Catholic intellectual tradition and is indispensable for fulfilling the Church’s mission through higher education.
The Mission of Catholic High Schools and Today’s Millennials: Three Suggestions
James L. Heft, S.M. & James D. Davidson
University of Dayton & Purdue University
(p. 410-422) Vol. 6 No. 4; June 2003
A new generation of American Catholics, called the millennial generation, has emerged. This article examines how millennials think about their world, their Church, and their schools; discusses how and why their thinking will change as they mature; and offers research-based suggestions on how best to present the Catholic tradition to them.
The Catholic Secondary School Climate:
Forming a Culture of Nonviolence and Healthy Relatedness
Sharon M. Homan, Stephanie Starkloff Morgan, Mary Domahidy
St. Louis University
Kenneth B. Homan, Joleene Unnerstall, & Rachel H. Fisher
Quincy University, Project H.A.R.T., St. Louis, & Washington University
(pp. 281-300) Vol. 4 No. 3; March 2001
In The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, the Congregation for Catholic Education (1998) suggests that the foremost challenge to third millennium education is a “crisis of values” that assumes the form of moral relativism, subjectivism, and nihilism. Teen violence, disengagement with others, power games, date rape, and other forms of unhealthy sexual relationships are manifestations of this crisis. One of the characteristics of the Catholic school that enables it to respond is the climate of the educating community. The Congregation states, “The educating community, taken as a whole, is…called to further the objective of a school as a place of complete formation through interpersonal relations” (p. 12). Fostering healthy relationships is key to the formation of young persons in our Catholic secondary schools. This article examines three questions confronting our secondary schools: How does interpersonal violence threaten both interpersonal relations and the climate of the educating community? What approaches can be used in secondary schools to contribute to a culture of nonviolence? How are healthy interpersonal relations fostered among teens in a Catholic school? We analyze these questions from an interdisciplinary perspective which draws upon research and practice from the fields of public health, education, and psychology and the theological tradition of Catholic education, particularly moral theology.
Spirituality: It’s a Matter of the Heart
Christopher K. Howe, O.S.A.
Bishop McNamara High School
(pp. 124-132) Vol. 2 No. 2; Dec 1998
The school leader’s spirituality flows from and is ever rooted in the heart; that is to say, in principles which are molded in one of the great traditions of the faith. In this article characteristics of gospel spirituality are described and the author incorporates practical examples of how this spirituality is lived within his school.
Historical Sketch of the Official Teaching of the Catholic Church on Moral Education in Schools
Thomas C. Hunt & Nick Compagnone
University of Dayton
(pp. 191-210) Volume 1, Number 2; Dec 1997
Originally cast against the backdrop of the pan-Protestant public school, the manuscript follows Catholic magisterial teaching on religious/moral education in schools as the Church confronts the growing influence of the secular state in schooling in the latter stages of the 19th century and into the 20th.
Teacher Candidates’ Incoming Beliefs about Teaching:
Comparing Catholic Service-Learning and Traditional Programs
Vladimir T. Khmelkov, Ann Marie R. Power, & F. Clark Power
University of Notre Dame
(pp. 206-228) Vol. 5 No. 2; Dec 2001
This study analyzes a range of professional beliefs held by a sample of incoming teacher candidates in the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), a service-learning teacher education program at the University of Notre Dame, and a sample of preservice teachers in a traditional teacher education program at a state university. The key dependent variables in this study are preservice teachers’ sense of professional responsibility and self-efficacy beliefs regarding the intellectual and moral aspects of their teaching. Findings indicate that ACE teacher candidates hold a greater sense of responsibility for helping disadvantaged students academically and for fostering all children’s moral growth compared to their counterparts in the traditional program. This study is the first stage in a longitudinal research project that explores the effectiveness of ACE’s model of teacher education in preparing professionally competent and responsible teachers.
Values Infusion: A Systematic Response to Catholic Identity
Mary Jane Krebbs
Archdiocese of New York
(pp. 306-314) Vol. 3 No. 3; March 2000
This article explains how the Archdiocese of New York responded to the need for making its values-based approach to education more conspicuous and formal. Through ECOS, a curricular change process, the Office of the Superintendent of Schools spearheaded a dialog and a program focusing on Catholic identity and values infusion as one source for the resurgence of that identity.
A Search for Common Ground:
Value Preferences of Lay and Religious Teachers in Roman Catholic Secondary Schools
Candace H. Lacey
Arkansas State University
(pp. 55-67) Vol. 2 No. 1; Sept 1998
This study examined the value preferences of full-time lay and religious faculty members in Roman Catholic secondary schools in one archdiocese. Using The Study of Values (Allport, Vernon, & Lindzey, 1960), two main research questions were addressed: What relative importance do teachers place on the six identified values? And what differences exist between the value preferences of religious and lay teachers? Findings indicated that both religious and lay teachers considered the religious value preference most important, while the economic value was the least preferred orientation. The significant difference found between groups for the religious valued preference is discussed in terms of instrumentation. Implications for hiring are presented and recommendations for future research are made.
A Comprehensive Approach to Character Building in Catholic Schools
Thomas Lickona
State University College at Cortland
(pp. 159-175) Vol. 1, No. 2; Dec 1997
The overall goal of Catholic education is to help students achieve a transformation in Christ. Integral to this transformation is development of the natural moral virtues and spiritual/supernatural virtues. Schools need to implement a comprehensive character-building program which focuses on twelve components, such as caring classroom communities, prayer, and moral discipline.
Some Background on Addressing the Topic of Homosexuality in Catholic Education
Michael J. Maher
Loyola University Chicago
(pp. 498-515) Vol. 6 No. 4; June 2003
The Catholic magisterium has made a distinction between homosexual orientation (disordered, but not sinful), homosexual activity (sinful, but judged “with prudence”), rights of gay and lesbian people, and the Church’s pastoral responsibilities to gay and lesbian people. Both the Vatican and the American bishops have clearly stated that the topic of homosexuality must be addressed in Catholic education, but the emphasis on how it is addressed differs between the Vatican (emphasis on finding causes and cures) and the American bishops (providing pastoral care and inclusion). Research indicated that some American Catholics may be very supportive of the rights of gay and lesbian people even if they disapprove of their sexual activity. It also appears that American Catholics are becoming more positive in their attitudes toward homosexuality over time. The Vatican has been directly confrontational with many gay and lesbian Catholic groups, expressing concern that they disregard the teaching against homosexual activity in the quest to meet pastoral needs. Some dioceses have begun to train their secondary school staffs on issues of homosexuality and to include the topic in the curriculum. On the other hand, gay and lesbian students at Catholic colleges, universities, and seminaries have a history of confrontation with Catholic educators.
Catholic High School Students’ Attitudes Toward Homosexuality:
A Snapshot of Incoming College Freshmen
Michael J. Maher
Loyola University Chicago
(pp. 432-478) Vol. 7 No. 4; June 2004
This study is a survey of incoming freshmen at a Midwestern Catholic university on their agreement with Church teachings on homosexuality. In general, females had more homo-positive attitudes than males, graduates of Catholic high schools had more homo-positive attitudes than graduates from non-Catholic high schools, and graduates from coeducational Catholic high schools had more homo-positive attitudes than graduates from unisex Catholic high schools. Also, if respondents agreed with the Church’s teaching against homosexual activity and that homosexuality is a disorder, they were less likely to agree with the Church’s teachings that gay and lesbian people have rights that the Church should protect.
Sr. Lucille Kalinowski: A Spiritual Biography
Ann Meese
(pp. 384-387) Vol. 1 No. 4; June 1998
The author, a principal in the diocese in which Sr. Lucille Kalinowski served as superintendent, reflects on Sister’s spirituality, sensitivity, and simplicity along with her impact on the administrators with whom she worked.
How Can We Sing the Song of the Lord?”
Nathan D. Mitchell
University of Notre Dame
(pp. 72-89) Vol. 4 No. 1; Sept 2000
What conditions make worship possible? What theology best supports our public worship? This article explores what we might call the conditions for the possibility of good worship. Reviewing the work of Jean-Luc Marion and Catherine Pickstock, the author challenges those charged with leadership to attend to the power of liturgy, especially as it affects our identity. Communal worship, properly understood and celebrated, can shape beliefs, values, behaviors, and vision of Catholic school leaders.
A Lesson from a Sarcastic Jesus
Sr. Dawn Nothwehr, OSF
Quincy University
(pp. 82-97) Vol. 2 No. 1; Sept 1998
Mutuality is a salient feature of any spirituality that is authentically Catholic. While there are at least four different forms of mutuality, a comprehensive view of its various forms establishes mutuality as a formal moral norm for Christian conduct. As such, mutuality proves to be a vital incarnational principle that can assist Catholic educators in critically evaluating
their ministry.
Motherhood and Tenure: Can Catholic Universities support Both?
Bridget Burke Ravizza & Karen Peterson-Iyer
St. Norbert College
(pp. 305-325) Vol. 8 No. 3; March 2005
This paper presents a plan for the implementation of more family-friendly policies at Catholic colleges and universities, both as a matter of justice for women and on behalf of the well being of families. It is motivated by the teachings of the Catholic social tradition that emphasize the equality and dignity of women; the importance of the dual vocations of Christian parents, who are called to raise children and to work more publicly on behalf of the common good; and the inherent value of children and their right to be properly nutured and educated within the Christian family. Our starting point is the condition of families in the U.S. today as they struggle to thrive in spite of tremendous demands placed on parents who also work outside the home. We examine the negative effects on women and families that result from a refusal to accommodate parents with young children in the workplace. We are concerned in particular with the challenges faced by women academics at colleges and universities who are also mothers. We argue that, by and large, these women are not adequately supported in academia, even at Catholic universities, in spite of that tradition’s professed commitment to the health and well being of families. Finally we offer several concrete suggestions by which universities may better support women academics who are mothers, thereby contributing to the well being of women and families.
Service, Ethnography, and the “Leap of Faith”:
A Spiritan Catholic Perspective on Service Learning
Kathleen Glenister Roberts
Duquesne University
(pp. 96-116) Vol. 12 No. 1; Sept 2008
This article considers the state of service and experiential learning initiatives in higher education, especially in Catholic universities. Concluding that the Catholic mission of service, education, moral values, world concerns, and ecumenism can be integrated into student experience, the essay offers a model of service ethnography. Service ethnography is a research method wherein ethnographers undertake service with the intercultural community as a central component of their learning. The model is explored via a case study, demonstrating the experiences of students at a Catholic university and uses their reflections to describe a new vision of ethnography as a “leap of faith.”
Sexuality Education and the Catholic Teenager: A Report
Gail S. Risch & Michael G. Lawler
Creighton University
(pp. 53-74) Vol. 7 No. 1; Sept 2003
This article reports on findings of a study of sexuality education in a Catholic diocese. The sample included seniors enrolled in either Catholic high schools or parish religious education programs. The range of findings include data about students’ knowledge of sexuality, their understanding of Catholic Church teaching about sexuality, their attitudes and values in regard to sexuality, who and what influences their attitudes and values, their sexual behaviors, and their experience of sexuality education. Recommendations for parents and formal sexuality education programs are offered.
Integrating Liberation Theology into Restructuring: Toward a Model for Urban Catholic Schools
Edward St. John
Indiana University
(pp. 265-280) Vol. 2 No. 3; March 1999
While the research on Catholic schools focuses on their distinctive character including the central role of faith communities within those schools, the challenges facing faith communities in urban Catholic schools have received relatively little attention. This essay argues that the integration of the principles of liberation theology, especially reflection on Gospel passages related to social justice, into the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) may be a viable approach to restructuring in urban Catholic schools. The congruities and incongruities in the origins and purposes of liberation theology and the ASP are examined. Then a strategy is suggested for integrating liberation theology into the ASP, with the intent of building a deeper shared sense of community and commitment to social justice.
Religion, Religiosity, and Private Schools
William Sander
DePaul University
(pp. 7-21) Vol. 9 No. 1; Sept 2005
The effects of religion and religiosity as measured by attendance at weekly religious services on the demand for private schooling is assessed. It is shown that Catholics, fundamentalist/evangelical Protestants, and respondents who attend religious services more often have a higher demand for private schooling. Data from the National Opinion Research Center’s “General Social Survey” are used.
Toward a Pedagogy Grounded in Christian Spirituality
Gini Shimabukuro
University of San Francisco
(pp. 505-521) Vol. 11, No. 4; June 2008
Church documents, theology, leadership theory, and sociology come together in this article to present a pedagogy for Catholic schools that is deeply rooted in personal faith and a contemporary understanding of the person. Practical insights into developing a spirituality for teaching are offered.
Let the Little Children Come to Me: Preaching the Gospel to Children
Del Staigers
(pp. 90-103) Vol. 4 No. 1; Sept 2000
Children’s Masses and Children’s Liturgy of the Word have become commonplace in many parishes. This article develops a theology of preaching to children based on a full understanding of revelation and grace. The author questions the content and style of preaching to children that has emerged since Vatican II and offers practical advice for preachers, teachers, catechists, and liturgical planners.
Liturgy as Curriculum: The Dynamics of Liturgical Education
Robert J. Starratt
(pp. 57-71) Vol. 4 No. 1; Sept 2000
Most Catholic schools avail themselves of many opportunities during the academic year to gather for an all-school Mass. Select teachers and students typically plan the liturgy and execute the needed ministries during Mass. This article situates liturgy planning and celebration in the context of the formal curriculum and calls for explicit liturgical education in Catholic schools. One Catholic high school’s experience with a “showcase liturgy” concept is described in detail.
Blondel and a Living Tradition for Catholic Education
John Sullivan
St. Mary's University College/Strawberry Hill
(pp. 67-76) Vol. 1, No. 1; Sept 1997
This paper suggests that an appreciation and application of the notion of Maurice Blondel’s “living tradition” would help in addressing some concerns about Catholic education. Blondel’s key insights and his contributions to Catholic thinking and a living tradition are discussed along with the educational implications for Catholic schools.
Responses to the Vatican Document: Consecrated Persons and Their Mission in Schools”
Mary Peter Traviss, O.P.
Director, Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership, University of San Francisco; Co-founder of Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice
(pp. 117-130) Vol. 7 No. 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.
Models of Theological Reflection: Theory and Praxis
John Trokan
College of Mount St. Joseph
(pp. 144-158) Vol. 1, No. 2; Dec 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.
Catholic Intellectual Traditions and Contemporary Scholarship
James Turner
University of Notre Dame
(pp. 35-45) Vol. 2 No. 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.
Guidelines Concerning the Academic Mandatum in Catholic Universities (Canon 812)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(p. 150-156) Vol. 5 No. 2; Dec 2001
Recommended procedures for granting, withholding, or withdrawing the mandatum required for Catholics who teach theological disciplines in the U.S. Catholic colleges and universities were approved June 15 by a voice vote of the U.S. bishops during the spring meeting in Atlanta. The mandatum was called for in a bishops’ document (Origins, Vol. 30, pp. 65ff) applying Pope John Paul II’s 1990 apostolic constitution on Catholic higher education, Ex Corde Ecclesiae (Vol. 20, pp. 265ff), in the United States. The June 15 text says that its “guidelines are intended to explain and serve as a resource for the conferral of the ‘mandatum.’ Only those guidelines herein that repeat a norm of the [application document] have the force of particular law.” The nature of the mandatum, how it is to be granted, what is to be done if a professor does not request it, and considerations related to its denial are among concerns the document addresses (an earlier draft text of the procedures appeared in Origins, Vol. 30, pp. 425ff). “The ‘mandatum’ recognizes both the professor’s ‘lawful freedom of inquiry’ and the professor’s commitment and responsibility to teach authentic Catholic doctrine and to refrain from putting forth as Catholic teaching anything contrary to the Church’s magisterium,” the document says. It observes, “Theologians who have received a ‘mandatum’ are not catechists; they teach in their own name in virtue of their baptism and their academic and professional competence, not in the name of the bishop or of the church’s magisterium.” The new document notes that “the ‘mandatum’ is an obligation of the professor, not of the university”; it explains that the Catholic theological disciplines in this context are “sacred Scripture, dogmatic theology, moral theology, pastoral theology, canon law, liturgy, and church history.” The text says that “ecclesiastical authority should presume, until the contrary is proven, that those who attest that they teach in full communion with the Church actually do so.” It says, “Any negative judgment concerning an objectionable portion of a professor’s work should be assessed at three levels: (1) the significance of that portion of the professor’s work within the context of his or her overall theological contribution; (2) its relationship to the larger Catholic tradition; (3) its implications for the life of the Church.” The text of the recommended procedures includes sample letters for requesting and granting the mandatum. The text, copyright 2001, by the U.S. Catholic Conference, follows. (See also the “On File” page of June 28, 2001, Origins for a report on discussion of the mandatum during the
bishops’ meeting.)
