February 09, 2010
 
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| Ten Ways To Renew Catholic Colleges |
| by Patrick J. Reilly |
| 10/21/09 |
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Most alumni of Catholic colleges and universities in the United States are blind to what is troubling Catholic higher education today. Despite increased public awareness of scandals at many Catholic colleges, including pro-abortion commencement speakers, campus performances of The Vagina Monologues, and dissident and heretical theology professors, alumni publications rarely hint at the controversies on campus. But for those faithful alumni who are aware of the scandals, it is cause for great dismay. Alumni often feel powerless to stop the secularization that has engulfed many Catholic colleges, frequently with the tacit approval of college officials, faculty, and staff.
But there are ways that alumni can have a significant impact and contribute to the growing movement for the renewal of Catholic higher education. Since 1990, when Pope John Paul II issued the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Catholic colleges have increasingly demonstrated a willingness to embrace their religious heritage. Alumni have played an important role by urging them on.
What follows are ten ways alumni can help improve Catholic colleges. The suggestions draw on my sixteen years of working with alumni through the Cardinal Newman Society, a national organization dedicated to strengthening Catholic identity at American Catholic colleges, and my leadership of a now-defunct association of alumni from Fordham University.
1. Get Informed
The first and most important step toward strengthening the Catholic identity of your alma mater is to get informed about what is happening on campus and in the Church and share that information with others.
Especially when angered by scandal or slighted by misrepresentation, one can be tempted to fire off an angry letter before getting all the facts. Limited time to study an issue, or the sometimes difficult process of digging for details about happenings on campus, can seem justification for skipping the process altogether. Worse, one may be quick to assume the truth of a rumor simply because it appears consistent with a college's past actions.
But as Christians we should never forget that there is nothing so powerful as the truth -- and nothing so destructive as falsehood, even when unintended. Misinformation gives college leaders the opportunity to ignore your concerns under the assumption that you are insufficiently informed and therefore unqualified to make a judgment about the college's internal operations. On the other hand, irrefutable facts -- supported by documentation, statements by college officials, Church documents, etc. -- can make an important impression upon open-minded people.
The Information Age offers a variety of ways to keep tabs on your alma mater, especially via e-mail and the Internet. Often alumni can purchase subscriptions to student newspapers, a much better record of campus events than alumni publications. Some college Web sites offer Internet access to campus newspapers, as well as online forums to monitor student discussions or communicate with other alumni. Web-based news services will allow you to schedule an ongoing search for media articles and other news about your alma mater. Faithful Catholic organizations like the Cardinal Newman Society (www.cardinalnewmansociety.org) and the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars (www.catholicscholars.org) regularly report on developments at Catholic colleges.
When you come across news of special interest or concern, share it with others. Interested parties include not only fellow alumni but also Catholic media and the Cardinal Newman Society, which relies heavily on information received from members and other concerned Catholics.
2. Get Involved
Alumni who remain actively involved with Catholic colleges can have a significant impact by providing a voice for faithful Catholic education and representing the interests of other alumni. The most obvious way to do this is through a college's alumni association, which is usually eager for alumni to serve as local and regional coordinators, alumni club officials, student mentors, etc. Most of these positions provide occasional opportunities to meet college officials and have some influence.
Class reunions and class gift campaigns can be perfect opportunities for raising concerns and making suggestions. At class reunions, alumni often have opportunities to arrange small-group discussions, invite speakers, or set up informational displays. At the very least, they provide access to fellow class members with whom you can share information and encourage action if necessary.
Alumni who have contributed to a college -- whether financially or with their time and skills -- receive greater respect from college officials, even when complaining about campus scandals. If a college leader has never met you, it is possible that you will be regarded as a troublemaker without true dedication to your alma mater. Any sort of track record is helpful and can make positive contributions.
3. Donate Wisely
Catholic higher education is one of the most important resources the Church provides to modern youth, whose catechetical and spiritual formation is often lacking and who sometimes face overwhelming challenges to the Faith at non-Catholic institutions. So even in the current climate of scandal at many Catholic colleges, it seems a terrible shame to abandon them. After all, most of these institutions were built up with the donations of trusting Catholics, and their tributes to faithful Catholic education ought to be honored.
On the other hand, sending a check in response to a general alumni appeal can have uncertain results. Will your gift be spent on dissident theological faculty, a student health center that provides abortion referrals, a lecture series including anti-Catholic speakers, or a theater department's presentation of The Vagina Monologues ? These things happen all too often, and while a very small portion of a college's general budget supports them, you do not want to be a party to it.
The moment you donate to a Catholic college is your moment of greatest influence over the college's direction. You are no longer an observer of what college officials are doing to change your alma mater; you are their bread and butter. If only a small portion of alumni donated wisely and made a clear statement in support of genuine Catholic education, the message would have great impact.
The key to giving wisely is to control your gift -- not only the amount, but how it is spent. You as a donor have the right to designate your gift for specific purposes, without actually controlling a college's operations. If the college does not like the purpose you declare, its only ethical and legal option is to refuse the gift. Fortunately, no college likes to refuse any gift, so wise donors have an advantage.
Even small donations, which are minimally appreciated by colleges when pooled with operating or endowment funds, can have a significant impact on campus life if they are given directly to Catholic-oriented student clubs and programs. These include prayer groups, spiritual retreats, pro-life clubs, Catholic-oriented campus media, fraternal clubs (e.g., Knights of Columbus), theological study groups, campus speaker funds, etc. On today's college campuses, students are allowed considerable discretion as to what they can do and which speakers to invite. This discretion often leads to scandal, but it also presents opportunities for faithful students partnered with alumni benefactors.
At minimum, be sure to earmark your donations for specific purposes and exclude uses that you find offensive. If you do so in writing, sufficiently well-crafted to avoid loopholes, you can ensure that your gift is not used inappropriately. Perhaps more importantly, your earmark sends a clear message to the college about what you support and what concerns you.
For perhaps the best advice for donors to higher education -- albeit from a conservative rather than a Catholic perspective -- get a copy of The Intelligent Donor's Guide to College Giving from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. ACTA also advises donors on how to set up endowed faculty chairs and scholarship programs in a way that prevents a college from distorting the donor's intent. The Cardinal Newman Society is currently discussing with ACTA options for Catholic college donors to participate in ACTA's Fund for Academic Renewal, which among other things manages donor-advised funds by which you can designate a particular institution or type of program for ongoing support. For advice on funding opportunities that strengthen Catholic higher education, feel free to contact the Cardinal Newman Society.
4. Revitalize Student Life
Whether by financial support or mentoring, alumni and other concerned Catholics can have an impact on student life on Catholic campuses. Throughout American higher education -- including most Catholic colleges -- educators have rejected the in loco parentis model, the operating principle whereby colleges once embraced a semi-parental role for young adults living away from home, and have largely abandoned any real sense of responsibility for students' personal and social development outside the classroom. But the extraordinary freedom allowed students to organize activities and mold their campus life offers opportunities to those who are disturbed by the status quo.
Alumni can establish dialogue with students who want to work for the renewal of Catholic life on campus, usually by identifying existing student clubs and contacting their leaders. Expect students to be a bit cautious at first -- despite obvious opportunities for alumni and students to work together, students are rarely exposed to the idea -- but they will usually grow comfortable when convinced that you offer valuable financial or other support. Be sure to look out for younger students and encourage them to consider leadership roles on campus; students come and go quickly, but you can help provide consistency to any effort.
Your financial support, even with small gifts, can make a big difference for student clubs with annual budgets often less than $500. Together you can sponsor Catholic lecturers to speak on campus or help prayer groups purchase rosaries and meditation guides. Larger gifts can help support Catholic-oriented publications, mission trips, a Eucharistic adoration chapel, and the like.
Students who are generally inexperienced and uncertain of their abilities can also benefit greatly from alumni mentors. Your own experience, whether as a former student activist or a career professional, can be valuable to students moved by the Holy Spirit. If only by modeling adult Christian behavior, your relationship with students can be a formative experience.
5. Revitalize Academics
Alumni also have opportunities to improve the academic quality of Catholic colleges -- including proposing revisions to the core curriculum, sponsoring faithful Catholic theology programs, making scholarships available to students, and providing for endowed chairs and academic programs -- but these are possible almost exclusively via large donations.
In most American colleges today, faculty have near-absolute control over the curriculum and faculty hiring. This means that, aside from urging on good faculty members to exert what influence they can, the best way to bring change is to control the purse strings by earmarking gifts. It never hurts, however, to make your views and recommendations known to college officials and trustees.
Again, for further advice I recommend ACTA's The Intelligent Donor's Guide to College Giving and a supplementary article by ACTA president Anne Neal on how to protect your interests when endowing a faculty chair (posted online at www.goacta.org). See also the Cardinal Newman Society's own The Newman Guide to Choosing the Right College.
6. Appeal to the College Here is one thing that every concerned Catholic, but especially alumni, can and should do to help renew Catholic higher education. The Church relies heavily on Catholic colleges for much of its theological study and preparation for Christian ministries; and because of this, the decline of Catholic education since the 1960s is a major contributor to problems experienced throughout the Church. As long as these institutions bear the Catholic label, every practicing Catholic has a stake in their fidelity and the education of their students.
Conveying concerns and recommendations to Catholic college officials is also quite easy to do, so there is no reason Catholics cannot communicate frequently and with little effort. Letters, phone calls, e-mails, and faxes to the college president's office, alumni office, or other appropriate officials are noticed. Never underestimate the impact of praise when something is done well and criticism when it is done poorly. Your communication by itself may bring no immediate change, but when combined with other communications, it adds to a steady drumbeat of support or complaint that can have an important impact on a college's future decisions.
The Cardinal Newman Society tries to make this process easier through the use of Facebook, Twitter, and email alerts. Visit www.cardinalnewmansociety.org for more information. Occasional bulletins are distributed that report on scandals and other developments at Catholic colleges, with contact information for college officials. By devoting just a few moments a week to conveying your concerns to Catholic colleges, you bring much strength to the movement for the renewal of Catholic identity.
Communications need not respond to specific incidents or concerns. Petition your alma mater to ensure that all theology faculty obtain the mandatum from the local bishop. Urge officials and faculty to read and take to heart Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Begin a dialogue and perhaps even forge a friendship with a college official or faculty member.
When communicating to a college official about any concern, keep the following in mind:
· Anger is a natural and often appropriate response to scandal, but while making a strong case against serious problems, be sure to do so with respect and charity. Not only is this what Christ expects of His followers, but a nasty e-mail can also detract from the practical impact of your protest.
· Always have your facts straight. (See point No. 1 above.)
· Generally, it is most effective to communicate with the college president's office -- and include others if you have the time. It is the president who is ultimately responsible for what occurs at the college, and your communication ensures that the president is fully aware of the problem. Your communication should acknowledge that the president may not already know of the problem and may not be personally responsible for it -- but must accept responsibility for correcting it.
7. Appeal to the Bishop There is a particular bishop in the United States who is well respected and clearly sympathetic to concerns about the decline of Catholic identity at Catholic colleges. In his diocese, there are Catholic colleges where theology faculty are heretical and scandals frequent. In a conversation with an education official in the diocese, I expressed my frustration at the bishop's lack of any public statement or action in response to these problems. Amazingly, I was told the bishop did not act publicly because he was not receiving large numbers of letters about the problems, and therefore he did not define them as public scandals.
Obviously the bishop's argument ignores the scandal to the college's students. But the unfortunate reality is that most Catholics are already jaded by scandal while others do not expect the bishops to act in response to letters. We are caught in a vicious circle. Too often bishops react defensively to complaints, properly noting that it is college officials who are directly responsible for their problems and that most Catholic colleges do not answer to the bishops on day-to-day decisions. But if bishops are to exercise their authority to assess and promote the Catholic identity of colleges, they need to know what is going on.
You have every right -- and in cases of scandal, the obligation -- to inform a college's local bishop of what is occurring in his diocese. Your goodwill toward the college is more readily assumed if you are a graduate (possibly even a donor) of the college. One surefire way of indirectly appealing to a bishop for help, without the bishop assuming that you are blaming him for the problem, is to send the bishop copies of protest letters addressed to college officials.
Names and addresses of bishops can be found at www.usccb.org/dioceses.htm.
8. Organize
If you find that the actions listed above are having little impact, and scandals continue at your alma mater, it is time to discern whether you are called to more aggressively serve the Church by going public with your concerns and organizing other alumni to advocate change.
Organizing can be informal: communicating with other alumni and urging them to take action, publishing letters and commentaries in local newspapers, urging Catholic and pro-life lobbies to spur their members to action, etc. If you can dedicate the time, formally creating an alumni organization can have even greater impact and attract significant attention to your concerns. Alumni groups can do as little as produce a Web site and an occasional e-mail alert to notify others of college developments, or as much as sponsor direct-mail campaigns to alumni, as well as campus events and rallies.
For an example of an excellent alumni organization that has had a real impact at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, see www.hccns.org. The Cardinal Newman Society also provides advice and support to alumni groups.
9. Take Charge
By definition, alumni have primarily a historical relationship to their alma mater, and they have little direct influence over a college's day-to-day operations. Nevertheless, in cases where a college's leadership is clearly out of step with its Catholic mission, alumni may have limited opportunities to help steer the institution.
You can work to secure a prominent position in the alumni association, thereby having some control over a college's fund-raising and communications apparatus. Major donors and other influential alumni can ask to be placed on boards and committees that determine internal operations and policies. Work to establish positive dialogue with officials, faculty members, and staff employees who may be able to influence decision-making.
A development at Dartmouth College a few years ago spurs the imagination, although I am not aware of any such occurrence at a Catholic college. Conservative alumni upset by Dartmouth's liberal biases managed to secure two seats on the board of trustees, which had been set aside for alumni. At significantly wayward schools like Georgetown University, it might be worth a try to petition for designated alumni seats on the board of trustees and other governing boards. Presumably older alumni would support a candidate who values the Catholic tradition that Georgetown was built upon.
10. Disengage
In the end, there is always the option simply to disengage from a Catholic college, concluding that it has irreversibly changed -- perhaps so much that it could hardly be described as the same school you attended. Too many alumni assume that financial support for their alma mater is an expectation to be fulfilled. In truth, Christians have an obligation not only to share their blessings but to properly discern how their gifts might best serve God.
Unless you can be certain that your financial support for a Catholic college will be used appropriately, consider other options that celebrate the Catholic education you received years ago. There are several Catholic colleges that are faithful to the Church, including new institutions that are in great need of financial help. There are organizations that are working to improve Catholic higher education and foster Catholic scholarship. There are Catholic elementary and secondary schools, both private and parochial, providing the catechesis that young Catholics so desperately need.
If you do decide to disengage from your alma mater, be sure to notify college officials. Even if you stopped donating to your alma mater years ago, or if you never gave a penny, drop a line to the college president and the alumni office explaining your long absence from their donor rolls.
The bottom line is this: Catholic colleges need to know where their alumni and other concerned Catholics stand. The scandals in Catholic higher education have become so shameful that those few Catholics who take notice are called to engage in some form of fraternal correction. In this way, we can hope that the renewal of Catholic higher education -- a process that has taken root in the past decade and shows many hopeful signs of continuing -- will result in many blessings for future generations.
Patrick J. Reilly is president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a national organization to strengthen and renew Catholic identity at U.S. Catholic colleges and universities. Adam Wilson provided valuable assistance for this article. Be sure to check out The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, now a free online resource at TheNewmanGuide.com. This article originally appeared in the July/August 2005 issue of Crisis Magazine.
Readers have left 19 comments. Quote(1) Vagina Monologues, a forum that can inspire Catholic discussion October 20th, 2009 | 11:34pm Hello, I am a senior at Georgetown University and an active Catholic. I challenge all reading this blog post to consider the truth portrayed in "The Vagina Monologues" that can inspire Catholic conversation. The campus production inspired reflection and debate on issues that are not often enough discussed: women's sexuality, Female genital mutilation, and embracing oneself completely as a bodily being. As the Catholic tradition stresses the sacred nature of the body, I found this show particularly enlightening. While the show does discuss sex outside the confines of marriage, it does not promote it. Thus, the show can serve as a jumping off point for discussion of the modern role of sexuality for Catholics. Moreover, as Catholic universities are welcoming of students of all faith and non-faith backgrounds, the topics brought up in Vagina Monologues can provide the foundation for debate between Catholics on campus and those of other faiths. Vagina Monologues is not a threat to the "Catholicness" of a campus. It is an embodiment of the faith that the University as a Catholic institution puts in the hands of students and administrators to critically consider productions and issues that are pertinent to the world today. While Georgetown is a liberal Catholic institution, I believe the way in which Georgetown promotes its Catholicism is effective. Catholic students are introduced to a variety of ways to critically look at the world and question beliefs. It is through this true questioning that stronger beliefs are formed and cemented for the rest of one's adult life. A university education lacking a challenge to one's faith may not allow for as great spiritual growth. Written by Claire Do you feel that the Vaginal Monologues teaches from an authentic pro-life Catholic Standpoint, or a more recent heterodox feminist standpoint? Written by Ted Seeber Patrick J. Reilly, Social liberalism, like cancer, is insidious and determined. It does not respond to polite fair-minded appeals, even from the Bishops. It be dealt with more forcefully. If a university is well into a slide into social liberalism, it's time to go straight to Patrick J. Reilly's tactics #7-10. Don't waste time with the first 6 tactics. So, how about this: 1. Report problems to the Bishop and ask if his office is organizing efforts to stop the problem. 2. Organize an alumni group through the Internet to assemble as many disgruntled big donors as possible. 3. Have the group sign an online pledge to pull all financial support if the University president doesn't take specific action within a specified period. Calculate and loudly advertise the dollar amount, which needs to be substantial to have any weight with top administration. 4. Get a clear slogan/message to repeat in the press and keep the financial alumni pressure escalating every time the University brazenly ignores the Bishop's warnings. 5. Once all warnings are ignored, *pull the millions of alumni dollars out* permanently and loudly. 6. Lobby the Bishop and Vatican to begin stripping the institution of its "Catholic" designation. The institution must not be permitted to call itself Catholic after ignoring all rebukes from the bishops and the faithful. Nothing less than this can stop social liberalism in a university. Written by Greg Sully I would add prayer to your list of things to do for obvious reasons. Pray for the school and it's leadership, the teachers and the students who attend to be faithful models of God's abiding love for each other. The author has great suggestions which should help shore up the Catholic foundations of our schools and institutions. Written by Joe Paul Dear Claire: While I can say I understand how the VM can be a launching point, I direct my comments to your statement "...while the show does discuss sex outside the confines of marriage..." I beg the question why use something as a launching point that "discusses" any ideas contrary to our Catholic faith when there is a wealth of doctrine within our faith? I am led to challenge and encourage you to lean toward use of ideas that are not contrary to our Catholic faith in order to achieve the same goals, namely, Pope John Paull II's "Theology of the Body." In this brilliant work, you will find with even greater depth, truth, and clarity so many more real launching points for discussion. You will also find the truth about these important issues of respect for woman as a whole (including all her bodily parts) and even find healing truths and transformation to these challenges of our culture in a very real and substantial way. The restoration of dignity of the feminine genius (as Pope John Paul the Great rightly called you) does not lie with Eve Ensler but with Theology of the Body. If you are not familiar with this work, I encourage you to research it. While his texts are very deep and rich, there are authors who have broken down the teaching into introductory styles, that leave plenty of room for launching points and discussion. One such author whom I have spent more than 2 weeks working with is Christopher West. His writing: An Introduction to Theology of the Body is highly recommended. I also know that Ascension Press has small group study guides available, where you and a group of students, can meet weekly and dive into this profound writing together. THIS type of dialogue around the Church's teachings will bring far more to be discussed and understood - in restoring the mystery and dignity of you - my beloved sister in Christ, to whom I am bound by our faith and in the Eucharistic Lord. But who needs the transformation more is the men of our time. For they too will learn from Theology of the Body why we MUST bring an end to the violence done to women, "the jewel of creation." Thank you for your boldness to share. Please know my prayers are with you and all defending the dignity of women! Written by Dave I have seen transcripts of the vagina monolouges and it seems to me that it does indeed promote sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, and I do believe Christopher West's Theology of the Body would be more comprehensive and would lead to authentic dialogue. As for 'Catholic' Universities that defy the Bishops and the authentic guidelines of the Church, nothing will put them more on course than taking away the title 'Catholic'...if we continue to allow them to call themselves 'Catholic' then we are collectively responsible for parents sending their children to these colleges where the children often lose their faith and are indoctrinated in ways contrary to their faith. Check out, not only the faculties of 'Catholic' universities, but also their Boards of Directors and any other body that influences the curriculum...parents, do this if you want to protect your children; Bishops...take a stand and remove the title 'Catholic' where defiance of Catholic teaching is unwavering... Written by Sam I'd rather send my kids to a secular university than to a nominal "Catholic University" like Georgetown. The scandal to Catholic kids is overwhelming when so-called catholics promote evil in the name of fairness and diversity. At least when the pagans promote evil, it's easier to dismiss it as "typical paganism." And it's easier to teach your children to oppose typical secularist heathen folly. Written by Mena Go ahead, Georgetown. Why not? Just hire some fool to take a dump on stage and defend it as a jumping off point to discuss digestion and the elimination of waste from the body. Women.com: Why do you think you've become so impassioned by vaginas as opposed to, say, breasts? Or giving birth? Or other women-only experiences? Ensler: I was drawn to vaginas because of my own personal history, because of sexuality, because women's empowerment is deeply connected to their sexuality. And, I'm obsessed with women being violated and raped, and with incest. All of these things are deeply connected to our vaginas. Women.com: What's your advice to mothers who are raising daughters? Ensler: I would tell them to love their daughters' vaginas, and to really encourage that love. If they see their daughter masturbating, never make her feel dirty or bad. And I would encourage mothers to encourage their daughters to talk about their sexuality, to be proud of their sexuality, to draw pictures of it, paint images, write poems, erect monuments. Women.com: What's your response to criticism of your work, for instance, that the "Coochi Snorcher" monologue, where a 14-year-old girl is willingly seduced by an older woman, glorifies pedophilia? Ensler: Look, the piece is controversial. It's not politically correct. And I assume people are going to have responses to it. I interviewed women, and I told their stories. I didn't make them up. People are going to have problems with people's stories. Women.com: You end the play with the only monologue that's your own -- witnessing the birth of your granddaughter. Your very last words are: "I was in the room. I remember." What, specifically, are you referring to? Ensler: Well, I was in the room when my granddaughter was born, so I remember that. But also, I was in the room when I was born. It's kind of multilayered. And I think it's also the bigger, global room of women, like being in this room of women and seeing the power and beauty and gorgeousness of vaginas. Women.com: So the show has also changed you? Ensler: Doing this piece obviously has completely changed my relationship with my vagina. I feel, for example, that I'm inside my vagina for the first time in my life. Women.com: Inside your vagina? Ensler: I'm in my life. I'm in my seat. I'm in my core. I'm in my power. I don't feel apologetic about anything anymore. I don't feel ambivalent about things anymore. I feel a determination I've never felt before in my life. And the possibility of really, really impacting and changing things -- that, in fact, we could create a world where women could live safely and freely without being abused or raped. Talking about vaginas all the time has really given me that confidence and strength. Women.com: Do you think all women's power is rooted in their sexuality? Ensler: Absolutely. Written by I am not Spartacus Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est “Nowadays Christianity of the past is often criticized as having been opposed to the body; and it is quite true that tendencies of this sort have always existed. Yet the contemporary way of exalting the body is deceptive. Eros, reduced to pure ‘sex’, has become a commodity, a mere ‘thing’ to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself becomes a commodity. This is hardly man’s great ‘yes’ to the body. On the contrary, he now considers his body and his sexuality as the purely material part of himself, to be used and exploited at will. Nor does he see it as an arena for the exercise of his freedom, but as a mere object that he attempts, as he pleases, to make both enjoyable and harmless. Here we are actually dealing with a debasement of the human body: no longer is it integrated into our overall existential freedom; no longer is it a vital expression of our whole being, but it is more or less relegated to the purely biological sphere. The apparent exaltation of the body can quickly turn into a hatred of bodiliness. Christian faith, on the other hand, has always considered man a unity in duality, a reality in which spirit and matter compenetrate, and in which each is brought to a new nobility. True, eros tends to rise ‘in ecstasy’ towards the Divine, to lead us beyond ourselves; yet for this very reason it calls for a path of ascent, renunciation, purification and healing. “Concretely, what does this path of ascent and purification entail? How might love be experienced so that it can fully realize its human and divine promise? Here we can find a first, important indication in the Song of Songs … In this context it is highly instructive to note that in the course of the book two different Hebrew words are used to indicate ‘love’. First there is the word dodim, a plural form suggesting a love that is still insecure, indeterminate and searching. This comes to be replaced by the word ahabà, which the Greek version of the Old Testament translates with the similar-sounding agape, which, as we have seen, becomes the typical expression for the biblical notion of love. By contrast with an indeterminate, ‘searching’ love, this word expresses the experience of a love which involves a real discovery of the other, moving beyond the selfish character that prevailed earlier. Love now becomes concern and care for the other. No longer is it self-seeking, a sinking in the intoxication of happiness; instead it seeks the good of the beloved: it becomes renunciation and it is ready, and even willing, for sacrifice.” Written by I am not Spartacus I just received some information about Christendom College in the mail today and it sounds great. Located in Front Royal, VA. If you'd like to check them out: www.christendom.edu Written by Mark Hi Claire, While I understand that you interpreted the Vagina Monologues as a worthy peice of work, I too agree with the others who advocate the use of Catholic material to empower the genius of woman. You must understand that not everyone would view the play in the same way that you did, and the sinful nature of some parts of this will provide an opportunity for sin. Thinking about the sin of masturbation portrayed in this play, for instance, will lead some into entertaining the thought of masturbation and then acting upon it. I know that you may think of this viewpoint as naive, but the Catholic community of the university should never knowingly participate in providing the ocassion for sin, even if the secular world does it all of the time. A Catholic university is viewed as an "Alma Mater". This translates from Latin directly as the "soul mother"; which means its very existence is to develop the souls of those who enter its halls. This Alma Mater is what many alumni pay much money to support in order that other Catholics, such as yourself, may receive the benefit of this "soul education". The school does these alumni and their students' parents, who also pay a lot of money, a disservice when they represent their institution in one way and then carry on with their business of educating our children, our future, in completely different way. I hope that you understand the importance of a Catholic education, as my father died when I was young and I had to pay for my own college education through public institutions, which were at the time much less expensive. I would have liked to have the opportunity to attend Georgetown or Notre Dame, but this was not my lot in life. As one who received purely secular education, I no longer have "Catholic Education Envy" because when I entered the university I attended, I knew that I had to find my own way and I did not rely on my Alma Mater to Mater my Alma. If this doesn't make any sense or has mis-spellings, blame the public university system ![[smiley=laugh]](http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/components/com_jreactions/custom/templates/blog/smileys/smiley_laugh.gif) Written by Christine I want to congratulate you folks on replying to Claire in a substantive, respectful way, despite disagreeing with her. It's tempting to just go nuclear on someone when they come in with an opinion with which one not only disagrees, but of which one is hard-pressed to defend the plausibility. But Claire articulated her view with clarity and without rancor, and so far as I can see, the respondents have done likewise. Kudos to all. As for my own view of Claire's argument: My own view is influenced by my own experience with rock-song lyrics in my childhood and early adulthood. Being a serious Christian raised in a Christian family, I had a Christian template overlaid on my interpretation of pop culture. I would hear a love song -- even an out-and-out sex song -- and it simply wouldn't occur to me, unless it was specifically stated, that something non-marital was being discussed. On occasion I mis-heard lyrics in a way which allowed them to align with my beliefs; for years I assumed "The Leader of the Band" by Dan Fogelberg was explicitly Christian because, although I didn't know many of the lyrics, I knew that one line said "My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man." I believe that this was God's doing; I prayed for wisdom after reading that Solomon had done so and asked God to prevent me from believing things that weren't true. (Probably more importantly, my God-fearing mother prayed for me a lot.) When I read Claire's "take" on the "The Vagina Monologues," I see in it some of that same innocence -- one might almost say naïveté, but without criticism -- in which, by the grace of God, a person can wade through a lot of muck, but come out relatively clean and muck free, because it could find little toe-hold in the person's mind. (A saint in glory could, one presumes, read a trashy pornographic magazine and not be thereby corrupted, remaining oblivious to the sin enshrined therein and noticing only a couple of phrases which, however dimly, can be construed in a way which reflects the glory of God.) So I am assuming the best of you, Claire, in all this: That you really don't notice the muck, and aren't overmuch affected by it. Having said that, Claire, I disagree with you about the appropriateness of "The Vagina Monologues." Perhaps you are constitutionally inured to the trashiness of it, as I have suggested above. If so, good for you, and glory be to God! But I think most aren't, and many attend a showing prompted by a desire for titillation or to daringly poke a finger in the eye of the traditions and reserve of their elders. Still others are prone to absorb error from this very uneven piece of work. Setting aside issues of truth and falsehood for the moment, it is no great piece of art; I worry that, as with a Britney Spears album, one's sense of aesthetics is to some degree sullied or deadened by prolonged exposure. Moreover, to adopt an economic mode for a moment, consider the "opportunity cost": How many more uplifting works of human creativity are available? Apart from the spending of money, why should a Catholic organization, or indeed a Catholic student, spend his or her valuable time on something so short on merit? One can't do everything; ergo, what one does should not be at the expense of a superior alternative. There is, moreover, room on Catholic campuses for dissenting views, but the place for them is in a formal debate, with each side making its case. The benefit for the Catholic mind comes not from exposure to dissent, but from the type of exposure which allows the discriminating intellect to understand and refute, and the less-discriminating to hear the refutation and learn from it. I don't see that Ensler's stream-of-consciousness rambling rises to that level of helpfulness, or indeed seriousness. So, Claire, if you're really above having your intellect stained, I pray (really, this is not rhetorical on my part, I just did pray it) you will remain so. But sadly, not all are. (And can we be sure that you are? The brain is an important organ: Garbage in, garbage out.) And anyway there are far better works of art, and far better creative works extolling a high view of the body, to be found elsewhere. They should not be forgone for something lesser. Written by R.C. Catholic means Christian. If your school or alma mater is not supporting the teachings of the church, go to a school that does. Nevermind denomination. Is your Catholic college or university Christian? Yes, to Fransican University of Ohio. Yes, to the old Notre Dame. But, if your school is not decidely Christian, look elsewhere. The CCCU schools, Baylor, and Wheaton all feature Christian worldviews. Don't let your cultural catholicism get in the way of your Christian higher education.  Written by Charlie It's good you came up with a formula. I agree there should be one more step #11: Prayer. Hopefully Notre Dame will get a copy. The very title the "Vagina Monologues" is offensive. Why then is there no "Penis Monologues"? It too sounds vulgar and ridiculous. A title like "Women's Sexuality" might not have the same ability to scandalize. Men have been objectified by the crass erectile dysfunction product ads, and by almost every other ad targeting them, or about them, in every type of media. It is fashionable today to trash men. They are just a little less equal than women. These same women who are fighting for women's rights might give pause to ask whether or not men are equally equal. If so, it then would be time for the radical feminist movement to come down off of its coveted collective pedestal. Maybe it is time for the tunnel view to broaden to human rights but that would protect the unborn (both male and female.) Oh yeah I forgot, that would discredit the whole feminist movement, which seems equally disposed to kill its fellow female unborn. Doesn't make much sense to me. But then I'm a woman. Written by s fane As I see come comments suggesting people check out the orthodox Catholic colleges, I have to say that it's never mentioned that many of those colleges just aren't very good, academically speaking. I can also understand why it would be easier to live one's orthodox Catholic faith while attending one of these schools, but I get a sense of a "run away" mentality that doesn't sit right with me. If we are called to live in this world, then shouldn't that mean living it at some of the top-tier schools? Don't orthodox Catholics deserve the best education and the greatest array of opportunities? What kind of change might happen if more orthodox Catholics attended ND, Georgetown or Fordham? I'd even like to see an infiltration of practicing Catholics in the best secular schools, like Dartmouth, Princeton, Columbia and the other Ivies. Either that or hope that some of the orthodox Catholic schools really get their acts together and insist on higher standards for academics, admissions, etc. Written by Jess Me As to restoring Catholic education, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, I would advise hiring sappers, satchel charging current institutions, and starting over! We might even (good heavens!!) restore the Baltimore Catechisms at the elementary level! Written by Carlist Jess Me, It is an established fact that the college experience is one with great impact upon how one's worldview develops. We need to ensure that our kids get a good formation during this point in life, not sacrifice them for the sake of scraping up what's left of universities that could not care less about their Catholic identity. Written by Adam Yes, Adam, but the same can be said for public high schools and I do think there are plenty of Catholics who come from practicing families who surely do come out of those schools with their faith intact; the same can be said for all those homeschooling Catholic families who do send their kids to a state university. Not everyone is strong enough to withstand the environment, so perhaps those kids really do need the stronger walls of a very Catholic college. Not all do. But do understand that if you do come from a school that doesn't have the highest standards, academics and reputation, you will be paying a price. The world needs more practicing Catholic lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, politicians, etc. people who, let's face it, are successful, make money, contribute in powerful ways to their communities and, well, can be movers and shakers. Another theology degree from Magdelene just doesn't help that. Written by Jess Me Pax Christi to you both. I mean no ill will towards either of you but must respectfully disagree. Jess Me, these Catholic schools are not poor academically. Some programs are better than others at schools but that is not unusual on the college level. I attend one of those schools--Benedictine College. I assure you that it is indeed academically challenging. This is taken from the school's website. TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE Wangari Maathai, Class of '64, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Benedictine College was named one of America’s Best Colleges in 2008 and 2009 by U.S. News & World Report. We were named one of the top 20 Catholic colleges in America by the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College. Benedictine College is one of only 82 colleges nationwide to be named a McGowan Scholars School. We were named a best buy in faithfulness and affordability by the Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education. The Benedictine Education Department was nationally recognized by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Benedictine College is home to the Discovery Program, a dynamic experiential learning program that fosters student research beyond the classroom. About 70 percent of our students majoring in natural sciences continue in graduate and professional schools (nearly twice the national average). The Chamber Singers, a select choir, has traveled to Italy many times, singing from Venice to Rome and even for the Pope. More than 85 percent of our classes have fewer than 20 students. We are one of the few Catholic liberal arts schools in the country to offer an Engineering major and one of only 70 colleges overall to offer an Astronomy major. Claire, I agree with other posters who have said that investigating the Theology of the Body would be a tremendous eye opener for you. I'll add more reading suggestions to you--Captivating, The Privilege of Being a Woman, The Authentic Catholic Woman, and an apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II you can find called On The Dignity and Vocation of Women. Written by Benedictine Girl |
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