The debate within Catholic educational circles on whether church sponsored colleges and universities perpetuate mediocrity by giving too great a priority to the moral development of students instead of scholarship and intellectual excellence continues in this book by sociologist Anne Hendershott. She asserts that part of the reason for the crisis of faith within Catholic colleges is due to status envy–the desire to compete with the top colleges in the country. Ca… More >>
#1 by Original Blend on July 2, 2010 - 6:30 pm
If you believe in the authority of the Magesterium of the Catholic Church, this book is for you. Read on and instruct your children well. If you believe that Our Lord gave the power in His Church to theologians, this book may give you some heartburn, but I still hope you read it, anyway. It sheds a light of clarity on many blatantly dissident university faculties and administrations that were at one time founded on Catholic principles, but which no longer reflect that identity. Once you read past the chapter on mission statements, the expose’ really begins.
But the best thing about this whole process is that the author, Anne Hendershott, never stoops to sensationalism. She allows the facts to speak for themselves.
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by M. Timmis on July 2, 2010 - 6:34 pm
This book is a powerful history and analysis of the decay of the Catholicity of Catholic education. It names names and says where the bodies are buried. If you wonder how Catholic Universities went from being a proud force for good in our culture to fawning over the greatest pro-abort politician in history, here is your answer. If you are considering sending your child to a “Catholic” University I would also recommend this book.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Bobby Bambino on July 2, 2010 - 6:42 pm
As one involved in higher education, I had great interest in reading this book. It is very well written, thorough, and heavily footnoted. Hendershott is not afraid to name both names of people and names of schools when citing examples. In this regard, the author gives many examples of events and activities that go on on many “Catholic” Universities, such as support for abortion and GLBT activities. Of course, there is an entire chapter on the Jesuit schools, which are responsible for some of the worst atrocities. To show how these schools had such a fall from grace, Hendershott starts at the beginning, around the turn of the century, when the President of Harvard wrote a scathing piece on the backwardness of Catholic education. This set up the idea that Catholic institutions should value academic freedom and scholarly activity subject to the approval of the secular world first and be a Catholic institutions second. Sadly, for many schools, they are not even Catholic institutions second, but not at all. One way that Hendershott clearly verifies this is by examining several mission statements of Catholic schools. Many schools only mention the “Jesuit tradition” (omitting any mention of Catholic) or discuss respect for “conscience” as their main marker of Catholicity, which of course means you can believe whatever you want. But while much time is spent discussing the problems in Catholic education, some time is spent discussing schools which are true to their Catholic identity, such as deSales and Franciscan University.
While very disturbing, this is an excellent book which should be read by anyone interested in the corruption and sell out of Catholic higher education.
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Trudy A. Dickneider on July 2, 2010 - 7:04 pm
I would love to read the book with this title. Unfortunately, the work delivered by Anne Hendershott is not it! A true study or reflection on “the politics of Catholic Higher Education” would be truly interesting and is much needed in light of Ex Corde and the threat that many local ordinaries are presenting to academic freedom. This book, however, is a petty attack on almost all of the Catholic colleges which serve this country, with a particular expose of the Jesuit schools, including an attack on education for justice. This is nothing more than a book length diatribe “worthy” of the Newman Society. If you buy it, expect nothing more than that!
Rating: 1 / 5