"Without in any way neglecting the acquisition of useful knowledge, a Catholic University is distinguished by its free search for the whole truth about nature, man and God. The present age is in urgent need of this kind of disinterested service, namely of proclaiming the meaning of truth, that fundamental value without which freedom, justice and human dignity are extinguished." - Pope John Paul II, Ex Corde Ecclesiae
The aim of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture's sixth annual fall conference was to bring together a large number of respected scholars representing all the main academic fields, from Catholic, non-Catholic, and secular institutions, to discuss a broad range of issues relating to the way in which the Catholic university as a whole, as well as the particular disciplines which comprise it, can best respond to Pope John Paul II's call for a renewal of Catholic institutions of higher learning.
We welcomed the submission of abstracts drawing on a wide range of moral and religious perspectives and academic specialties. Special consideration was given to submissions of ideas for panel discussions that would bring together several people to discuss a focused theme. Themes explored included:
- Several sessions centered on the different disciplines, e.g., the Catholic Law School , the Catholic Theology Department, the Catholic Philosophy Department, etc.
- New models of Catholic higher education in the New Millennium
- The unity of the curriculum in the contemporary Catholic university
- The role of research at a Catholic university
- Academic freedom at the Catholic university
- Thomism in the New Millennium
- The Catholic university and technology
- Cultural dialogue and the New Evangelization
- Social justice and the Catholic university
- The Catholic university and pastoral ministry
- The Catholic university and commercial partnerships
- What Catholic universities might learn from other Christian and secular universities
- Faculty hiring at Christian universities
- The role of Catholic Studies programs
One-page abstracts for individual papers included name, affiliation, address, and e-mail address (if available). Session presentations were limited to twenty minutes. Panel discussions lasted for a full hour, leaving time for questions.
Deadline for submissions was June 22, 2005. Notification of acceptance was mailed by July 15, 2005. One-page abstracts, along with full contact information were emailed to ndethics@nd.edu or mailed to:
Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture
Joy in the Truth
1047 Flanner Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556
