Companions in Mission: Practicing the Virtue of Solidarity in Catholic Higher Education

Thesis advisor: Jane E. ReganIn Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987) Pope John Paul II proposes solidarity as a social virtue for our fragmented yet interdependent world. This lens raises several important questions, but also suggests new opportunities for moral formation and the promotion of institutional charism in the context of Catholic higher education. Employing a praxis methodology, this dissertation begins by analyzing contemporary declines in social capital and the rise of atomistic individualism. The philosophical writings of Alasdair MacIntyre and Charles Taylor help us to understand the moral and spiritual roots of these sociological trends. With the context established, the dissertation next traces the development of solidarity in the Catholic social tradition and attempts to locate the virtue within a Thomistic moral framework. Closely related to both charity and justice, the vision of solidarity advanced is linked to Aristotle's notion of civic friendship, perfected in its origin (the dignity of the human person) and goal (the common good). Constructive proposal are grounded in the concept of social practices developed by MacIntyre and adapted by religious educators and practical theologians. Beyond textual analysis, this dissertation includes a national survey of 87 senior mission leaders at Catholic colleges and universities. From these findings, concrete recommendations are offered for the practices of mission leadership and service-learning.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015.Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry