Jesuit Catholic universities like Fairfield are in the education business, but in the context of the values of Catholic Social Teaching [CST] on justice and the dignity of the human person, and the familiar Ignatian values of the magis and cura personalis.

But our contemporary American culture is deeply individualistic and frequently very materialistic. These values, which are antithetical to the Catholic intellectual and religious tradition, put pressure on Catholic universities to compromise on our mission.

In his book Just Universities, published by Fordham University Press last year, Gerald Beyer writes “…the corporatization of the university has infected higher education with hyperindividualistic practices and models imported from the business world. This phenomenon hinders the ability of Catholic institutions to fulfil their mission, which includes creating an environment imbued with values and principles of Catholic Social Teaching, such as respect for human rights, solidarity and justice.”

Led by Paul Lakeland, PhD, the Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Professor of Catholic Studies and director of the Center for Catholic Studies, three Living Theology Workshops this semester will each look at a distinct set of problems where the stand-off between mission and identity and the pressures to conform to the more worldly vision of American individualism are most evident:

Wednesday, Feb. 2 | 5 p.m.: “What Are Fair Pay and Good Working Conditions?”
*Hybrid Event: In-Person at BCC Dogwood Room, or register to watch via livestream.
This workshop examines the working conditions of employees in Catholic universities in light of CST’s commitment to the idea of the living wage and the requirement that workers be treated with dignity.

Wednesday, March 23 | 5 p.m.: “How Do We Serve the Underserved?”
*Hybrid Event: In-Person at DiMenna-Nyselius Library Multimedia Room, or register to watch via livestream.
Catholic universities, like their secular counterparts — especially private institutions — largely serve middle- and upper-class populations. How can they find ways to be more open to sectors of the population without the means to meet the price-tag of the education, and should they do so?

Wednesday, April 6 | 5 p.m.: “Racial Justice and the Call for Reparations”
*Hybrid Event: In-Person at DiMenna-Nyselius Library Multimedia Room, or register to watch via livestream.
Private institutions, including Jesuit and Catholic schools, largely educate a white population and do not often reflect the racial make-up of American society. How can this be changed, if it should? And how can our Catholic schools teach their students to recognize the reality of white privilege and the need to become anti-racist—individually and as an entire educational community?

Register for the spring 2022 Living Theology Workshop livestreams at fairfield.edu/cs, or join us in person at the locations listed above. Please check the University website before visiting campus, for the latest Covid-19 guidance: fairfield.edu/healthyu.