Values and the Identity of the Catholic University

Philip Gleason identifies two tendencies found in contemporary prescriptions for Catholic colleges and universities looking for an identity. One is progressive or liberal and emphasizes studies related to peace and justice as clear signs of a school’s Catholic character. A second is conservative or traditionalist; it stresses conformity with Catholic doctrine. Both tendencies include variations ranging from moderate to extreme. Neither tendency really excludes the other. Still, both are very specific about the path institutions should take to demonstrate their Catholicity.l Uncaptured in Gleason’s analysis is the practical solution chosen by many institutions: the identification of Catholic education and a commitment to values. The University of St. Thomas, for example, claims that affiliation with the Catholic tradition "fosters a values-oriented education needed for complete human development and for responsible citizenship in contemporary society " and includes among its goals "a search for and discovery of truth and judgments of value as well as preserving and transmitting enduring truths and values."2 Speeches at public events as well as casual conversation among interested parties often explicitly convey the practical understanding that "values, " in th