At the most recent faculty convocation, the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, highlighted some of the themes that give Loyola its identity. Members of the Loyola community constantly discuss Catholic and Jesuit identity. In an effort to continue the conversation, let me suggest a few guiding principles that stretch beyond the slogans on our homepage and sweatshirts, which are not a bad place to start.
(1) A Catholic university must take the Incarnation seriously. As the prominent theologian the Rev. Michael Himes has stated, taking this doctrine seriously means “whatever humanizes, divinizes.” Since God fancied human beings so much that God decided to become a human being, the heart of any Catholic university should aim to explore and identify whatever brings to light our true humanity. Whether it is in challenging courses that uncover the different corners of the human heart or regions of the mind, facilities that let us develop our gifts and talents or extracurricular opportunities that allow a space for authentic human interaction, a Catholic university recognizes that whatever humanizes sheds light on what and who God is and how we are to praise this God.
(2) A Catholic university creates room for serious debate and dialogue. According to Jesuit philosopher Bernard Lonergan, the human being is a being who asks questions. Some people misuse their freedom and spend their whole lives asking silly or destructive questions that muddy rather than inform public discourse. A Catholic university is not simply a place where any question is as good as the next. It is a place that helps form minds to ask the right questions.
But such a process is not always easy. As a community of teachers and learners (and we must hope that all members, even professors, never cease to be learners), we must continue to address the matter: Are we moving people toward serious questions, or have we created structures that stifle good questions and give excess attention to poor questions? Any careful reading of the Gospel notes that the disciples spend much of the time asking the wrong questions, much to the dismay of Jesus.
(3) A Catholic university holds the “good” front and center in all of its endeavors. Part, but not all, of this good is the “common good,” which is addressed through questions of social justice. Does what is good for Loyola relate to what is good for New Orleans, or more poignantly, to the good of the lower paid staff of Loyola? But the good is also personal: What is the best way to live? How do I attain health of body, and more importantly, of soul?
Such basic questions of the good can lead to countless permutations, such as: How does Loyola impact the environment? How does Loyola aid the wider Catholic community? Are the products sold at Loyola manufactured responsibly? Does the presence of pre-programmed television (MTV U) in public space have a negative impact on our capacity to learn? The question of the good enters every discipline and every facet of a Catholic university.
(4) A Catholic university provides the space for people to grow in faith. For Catholics at least, nobody can give anyone else “the faith.” Perhaps the greatest of Catholic theologians, Thomas Aquinas, calls faith an “infused” virtue, meaning that faith comes exclusively through God’s unmerited grace. (As opposed to an acquired virtue or habit that one can arrive at through effort). Mere mortals can only be sacraments or models of faith.
In my short time at Loyola, I have noticed and admired the charity, humility, kindness and generosity of the Jesuits. Loyola cannot force students to attend Mass or enjoy religious studies or any other classes that might directly deal with Catholic faith. Loyola can only make its resources (including its many outstanding employees) available for students to enter more deeply into lives of prayer, service and learning.
Is Loyola a Catholic university? I would say this is the wrong question because it presupposes a one-word answer. In many ways, Loyola succeeds in being Catholic. In other ways, it surely fails. Even most faithful Catholics, if honest, would say the same about themselves. Otherwise there would be no point to Lent (Remember, Lent came first, then Mardi Gras).
Although it may be easier to reduce Catholic identity to a short list of questions, authenticity demands that we delve deeper into how Loyola should be both a real university and really Catholic. It is a goal toward which we can continually aspire, or if you like, make new resolutions.
Grant Kaplan, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of religious studies.
