Substantially Catholic by Mark Jubulis, Ph.D.
A Commentary on Bringing the Catholic Intellectual Tradition Into the Classroom A Catholic university is a community united in the pursuit of truth. We can proceed with confidence, knowing that we are participating in a rich intellectual tradition. As stated in the introduction to Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990), “Born from the heart of the Church, a Catholic university is located in that course of tradition, which may be traced back to the very origin of the university as an institution.” This tradition emphasizes the integration of all forms of knowledge and the belief that “reason and faith need one another in order to fulfill their true nature and their mission.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi, 2007). As we learn more about the world and appreciate its complexity and beauty, we gain a greater understanding of God who created it. In terms of curriculum, a Catholic university should maintain a central role for theology and philosophy, two disciplines dedicated to the search for ultimate truth. Since we seek the integration of knowledge, a multidisciplinary approach is most effective. We fulfill our Catholic Mission by bringing ethical perspectives from theology and philosophy into courses on other subjects. This was the main point of a conference I attended last summer at Marist College in New York called “Substantially Catholic,” organized by Melanie Morey and Father John Piderit, S.J., both of the Catholic Education Institute. Seminars were conducted by an impressive list of experts, both priests and lay faculty, to help professors of political science and English learn how to incorporate aspects of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition into their classes. In summer 2008, the seminars will be designed for professors of English literature, biology, or psychology. After attending these seminars, I am definitely more aware of ways that a Catholic perspective can enhance my political science curriculum.
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to politics established by Machiavelli, who conceived of politics as a self-contained sphere of human activity with its own set of standards and rules. The Catholic Intellectual Tradition reminds us that the purpose of politics is not simply the acquisition of power for its own sake. Rather, the Thomistic-Aristotelian view holds that politics ought to be concerned about the just ordering of society to enable us to live according to our true nature in solidarity with others in a community dedicated to the common good. In practice, this vision requires a healthy dose of virtue among citizens and leaders who are endowed with prudence. A democracy is primarily a system of procedures for choosing political leaders, but the quality of democracy rests upon the moral foundations of society. A majority can choose to do good or evil, so we must strive to keep people oriented toward the good. We do this at a Catholic university by preparing students to become engaged citizens who will exercise their freedoms responsibly and base their decisions on moral values consistent with the Church’s teaching. In the classroom, Alexis de Tocqueville is an excellent guide for the students on the topic of civic responsibility. His Democracy in America emphasizes the important role that intermediary institutions of civil society (i.e., the family, churches, and associations) play in sustaining democracy. He also felt that the religious nature of American society, which he observed in the early 1830s, was crucial for the success of democracy because it provided a sense of moral restraint and prevented the abuse of freedoms. Tocqueville’s approach reminds us that the key to a regime of well-ordered liberty requires sturdy cultural foundations.
“Politics ought to be concerned about the just ordering of society to enable us to live according to our true nature in solidarity with others in a community dedicated to the common good.”
A Catholic vision of political science is heavily indebted to the ideas of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. An Augustinian perspective helps us to be on guard against utopian schemes that hold out the promise of a paradise on earth. St. Thomas established the precedent for linking faith and reason through his detailed commentaries on Aristotle and he elaborated on the concepts of natural law and just war. These concepts are based on the belief that there are transcendent moral principles that set the standard for positive law and the formation of national policy. This view, which assumes that moral reasoning must guide all of our actions, is opposed to the modernist approach
In our current climate of bitter partisanship, in which political success is defined as electoral victory over our opponents, a Catholic approach can restore the noble purpose of politics by focusing on policies that respect the dignity of the human person and seek to promote the common good. We have a duty to be witnesses to the truth of the Gospel and to challenge the postmodernist trends of moral relativism and radical skepticism. As Pope John Paul II wrote in Ex Corde Ecclesiae, “If need be, a Catholic university must have the courage to speak uncomfortable truths which do not please public opinion, but which are necessary to safeguard the authentic good of society.” At Gannon, I treasure the freedom to integrate the Catholic Intellectual Tradition while teaching my discipline. For more information please visit www.marist.edu/community/sc/.