Sacred Tradition is like a Compression Wave: ND Tradition Conference Day 1

In all seriousness.

So today was Day 1 of Notre Dame's Tradition Conference. My summary will be based around this little analogy. By Sacred Tradition I refer to the whole deposit of faith, both written (Scripture) and oral (which has since been found in writing as well as those after the Apostles attempt to grapple with what was handed on orally) tradition.

"Secret" Niccoline Chapel discussed by Bishop Anthony Fisher
in relation  to Catholic Moral Tradition

Compression Waves:

These are the types of waves involved in sound, or slinkies. They look like this:

Characteristics:

• The flow of energy is one-directional 

To see what I mean, look at this animation (the first one, longitudinal waves are another name for compression waves).

• The particles oscillate in a direction parallel to the direction of the flow of energy (again, see animation above).  In other words, the particles interact on the same plane.

What does this have to do with Sacred Tradition?

I think many of the things said today can be tied into this model. I'll look at each characteristic separately. For the purposes of the analogy, each particle may be thought of as an individual person, who participates in the complex overall chain-web of "handing on" the deposit of faith.

• "Traditioning" is the process of handing on the deposit of faith. As such, it necessarily moves in one direction chronologically, as each generation preserves the faith by handing it on to the next. Hence the parallel with the notion of a wave, which by definition is a transmission of energy in one direction, while here we have transmission of truths in one direction.
• The oscillations of individual particles are representative of the ongoing dialectic that takes place in the process of traditioning. 
• If we zoom out, taking a long view of history, we see only the overall movement in one direction. But if we zoom right into individual lives, we see that there is a back-and-forth going on. One doesn't simply receive the whole deposit in one go, and then proceed to hand it on. Indeed, one person never receives the whole, they simply absorb a limited amount over their lifetime, all the while constantly transmitting what they have already internalised to others. 
• There is a perpetual vacillation between actively receiving the faith from someone you trust, and then passing on what you have received, to a new recipient. This active reception involves choosing to believe and accept tradition as a reliable source of truth, which is possible only because we have the Holy Spirit working as the guarantor that the Church will maintain fidelity to His original inspiration of the Apostles. It must involve the application of one's intellect to what is received, interpreting and understanding it, finally internalising it as one comes to grips with how best to express these truths to the next generation, which will always be slightly different from one's own. There is an engagement between the transmitter and the receiver as the transmitter strives to pass on what he is passionate about, in such a way that the receiver will not only receive the content but the same love for this content as well, and thus inherit the urge to pass it on again, while simultaneously, the receiver interrogates and evaluates what is being presented. This dynamic interaction is the essence of what keeps Tradition living, as it respects the past, confronts the immediate present, and has a concern for the future. Such interaction can only really occur in relationships of mutual concern and respect, namely in the family, "the domestic Church", and friendships. The fact that such relationships are where the action happens in terms of bringing humanity to Christ has been amply borne out in history.
• The truths of Sacred Tradition are made concrete in actions, in the living out of that faith. Actions are the fruit of the authentic reception of the truth. These are manifested in the traditions of the Church (distinguishing here between Tradition and traditions), each of which express, or ought to express, truths of the unchanging Tradition, for particular times. Thus, many of these will undergo transformations over the centuries, as different generations seek to express the Tradition in action intelligibly for the Church and the world.
• It is impossible to not have traditions as human beings, and so it is important to be aware of this so that we may be discerning about which traditions we choose to adhere to.
• If people have a duty to try to seduce or persuade people to cherish what they cherish (for if they see it as worth cherishing then surely they would want to share that at least with the people they care about), then in particular each Christian, if they are passionate about Christ, then has a responsibility to strive to "hand on" this encounter with the Lord.

In short, the one directional movement of energy in a compression wave is like the one directional movement of the deposit of faith in Sacred Tradition, while the oscillations of the individual particles are like the ongoing reception-transmission that take place on the individual level.

If you think you're missing out by not attending this conference, you're right. Sorry. ;)

+AMDG

Tradition Conference!

I'm doing an intensive unit in the winter break, and I'm flippin' excited!! The University of Notre Dame is hosting a conference on Tradition in the first week of July. You can check out the program here.

Why you should come:

• It's going to be awesome.
• Matthew Levering will be there. (Author of Holy People, Holy Land, and Sacrifice and Community, and many more. This is exciting because I have referenced him in essays!) But actually there will be a whole bunch of great international and local speakers, including Bishop Anthony Fisher, and some of our very own Notre Dame lecturers!
• It's at Notre Dame Sydney, the best Catholic University in Australia.
• The topics look awesome. (see the program above)
• It's just the kind of engagement with society that is the task of a Catholic University I've talked about before. Catholic Voices puts it thusly:
  
  Tradition represents a unique opportunity to engage on Australian soil with what it means to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church, to consider how religious and secular traditions interact and to explore the notion of tradition generally. It is also a perfect opportunity to witness a Catholic University at its finest, discussing ideas of ongoing importance at the intersection of human communities and divine truths. A truly public event, this conference will be of benefit to anybody interested in the ongoing dialogue between the Church’s eternal teachings and the powerful influence of cultural norms.
• This song: 

So get on it, and register, for the whole thing, a day, or even just for the debate (broadcast on national radio!)

For some more Tradition love, check out my friend Laura's cool compilation of quotes on Tradition.

Part III: the heart of a Catholic University-the School of Philosophy and Theology

The Mission of the Catholic University:

"The basic mission of a University is a continuous quest for truth through its research, and the preservation and communication of knowledge for the good of society. A Catholic University participates in this mission with its own specific characteristics and purposes."

1. Service to Church and society
• A Catholic University, as any University, is immersed in human society; as an extension of its service to the Church, and always within its proper competence, it is called on to become an ever more effective instrument of cultural progress for individuals as well as for society. Included among its research activities, therefore, will be a study of serious contemporary problems in areas such as the dignity of human life, the promotion of justice for all, the quality of personal and family life, the protection of nature, the search for peace and political stability, a more just sharing in the world's resources, and a new economic and political order that will better serve the human community at a national and international level. University research will seek to discover the roots and causes of the serious problems of our time, paying special attention to their ethical and religious dimensions.
•  In its attempts to resolve these complex issues that touch on so many different dimensions of human life and of society, a Catholic University will insist on cooperation among the different academic disciplines, each offering its distinct contribution in the search for solutions
2. Pastoral Ministry
• Pastoral ministry is that activity of the University which offers the members of the university community an opportunity to integrate religious and moral principles with their academic study and non-academic activities, thus integrating faith with life. It is part of the mission of the Church within the University, and is also a constitutive element of a Catholic University itself, both in its structure and in its life. A university community concerned with promoting the Institution's Catholic character will be conscious of this pastoral dimension and sensitive to the ways in which it can have an influence on all university activities.
• As a natural expression of the Catholic identity of the University, the university community should give a practical demonstration of its faith in its daily activity, with important moments of reflection and of prayer. Catholic members of this community will be offered opportunities to assimilate Catholic teaching and practice into their lives and will be encouraged to participate in the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist as the most perfect act of community worship. When the academic community includes members of other Churches, ecclesial communities or religions, their initiatives for reflection and prayer in accordance with their own beliefs are to be respected.
• Those involved in pastoral ministry will encourage teachers and students to become more aware of their responsibility towards those who are suffering physically or spiritually. Following the example of Christ, they will be particularly attentive to the poorest and to those who suffer economic, social, cultural or religious injustice. This responsibility begins within the academic community, but it also finds application beyond it.
• Pastoral ministry is an indispensable means by which Catholic students can, in fulfilment of their baptism, be prepared for active participation in the life of the Church; it can assist in developing and nurturing the value of marriage and family life, fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life, stimulating the Christian commitment of the laity and imbuing every activity with the spirit of the Gospel. Close cooperation between pastoral ministry in a Catholic University and the other activities within the local Church, under the guidance or with the approval of the diocesan Bishop, will contribute to their mutual growth.
3. Cultural Dialogue
•  In addition, a Catholic University, aware that human culture is open to Revelation and transcendence, is also a primary and privileged place for a fruitful dialogue between the Gospel and culture.
• Catholic Universities will seek to discern and evaluate both the aspirations and the contradictions of modern culture, in order to make it more suited to the total development of individuals and peoples. In particular, it is recommended that by means of appropriate studies, the impact of modern technology and especially of the mass media on persons, the family, and the institutions and whole of modem culture be studied deeply.
• An area that particularly interests a Catholic University is the dialogue between Christian thought and the modern sciences. This task requires persons particularly well versed in the individual disciplines and who are at the same time adequately prepared theologically, and who are capable of confronting epistemological questions at the level of the relationship between faith and reason. Such dialogue concerns the natural sciences as much as the human sciences which posit new and complex philosophical and ethical problems. The Christian researcher should demonstrate the way in which human intelligence is enriched by the higher truth that comes from the Gospel: "The intelligence is never diminished, rather, it is stimulated and reinforced by that interior fount of deep understanding that is the Word of God, and by the hierarchy of values that results from it... In its unique manner, the Catholic University helps to manifest the superiority of the spirit, that can never, without the risk of losing its very self, be placed at the service of something other than the search for truth"(39).
  47. Besides cultural dialogue, a Catholic University, in accordance vith its specific ends, and keeping in mind the various religious-cultural contexts, following the directives promulgated by competent ecclesiastical authority, can offer a contribution to ecumenical dialogue. It does so to further the search for unity among all Christians. In inter-religious dialogue it will assist in discerning the spiritual values that are present in the different religions.
4. Evangelisation
• The primary mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel in such a way that a relationship between faith and life is established in each individual and in the socio-cultural context in which individuals live and act and communicate with one another. Evangelization means "bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new... It is a question not only of preaching the Gospel in ever wider geographic areas or to ever greater numbers of people, but also of affecting and, as it were, upsetting, through the power of the Gospel, humanity's criteria of judgment, determining values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration and models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God and the plan of salvation"(40).
• By its very nature, each Catholic University makes an important contribution to the Church's work of evangelization. It is a living institutional witness to Christ and his message, so vitally important in cultures marked by secularism, or where Christ and his message are still virtually unknown. Moreover, all the basic academic activities of a Catholic University are connected with and in harmony with the evangelizing mission of the Church: research carried out in the light of the Christian message which puts new human discoveries at the service of individuals and society; education offered in a faith-context that forms men and women capable of rational and critical judgment and conscious of the transcendent dignity of the human person; professional training that incorporates ethical values and a sense of service to individuals and to society; the dialogue with culture that makes the faith better understood, and the theological research that translates the faith into contemporary language. "Precisely because it is more and more conscious of its salvific mission in this world, the Church wants to have these centres closely connected with it; it wants to have them present and operative in spreading the authentic message of Christ."

Summary:

The Catholic university should integrate faith and reason within itself, through interdisciplinary dialogue, in order to effectively engage with the surrounding culture. It should be concerned with the formation of its students and staff, ensuring that living out the Christian life is encouraged and prioritised, as all the intellectual knowledge of theology in the world is meaningless if one's relationship with God is not a living, dynamic reality. All of this work finds its purpose and fruit in the work of evangelisation, the task of bringing all people we encounter to Christ.

Notre Dame: University of Awesome

Part II: The heart of a Catholic University- the School of Philosophy and Theology

[Part I can be read here]

Today I want to concentrate on the role of theologians in the university (since I am one!).

"Theology plays a particularly important role in the search for a synthesis of knowledge as well as in the dialogue between faith and reason. It serves all other disciplines in their search for meaning, not only by helping them to investigate how their discoveries will affect individuals and society but also by bringing a perspective and an orientation not contained within their own methodologies. In turn, interaction with these other disciplines and their discoveries enriches theology, offering it a better understanding of the world today, and making theological research more relevant to current needs. Because of its specific importance among the academic disciplines, every Catholic University should have a faculty, or at least a chair, of theology.

Given the close connection between research and teaching, the research qualities indicated above will have their influence on all teaching. While each discipline is taught systematically and according to its own methods, interdisciplinary studies, assisted by a careful and thorough study of philosophy and theology, enable students to acquire an organic vision of reality and to develop a continuing desire for intellectual progress. In the communication of knowledge, emphasis is then placed on how human reason in its reflection opens to increasingly broader questions, and how the complete answer to them can only come from above through faith. Furthermore, the moral implications that are present in each discipline are examined as an integral part of the teaching of that discipline so that the entire educative process be directed towards the whole development of the person. Finally, Catholic theology, taught in a manner faithful to Scripture, Tradition, and the Church's Magisterium, provides an awareness of the Gospel principles which will enrich the meaning of human life and give it a new dignity."

School of Philosophy and Theology

The challenge to lecturers:

University teachers should seek to improve their competence and endeavour to set the content, objectives, methods, and results of research in an individual discipline within the framework of a coherent world vision. Christians among the teachers are called to be witnesses and educators of authentic Christian life, which evidences attained integration between faith and life, and between professional competence and Christian wisdom. All teachers are to be inspired by academic ideals and by the principles of an authentically human life.

The challenge to students:

23. Students are challenged to pursue an education that combines excellence in humanistic and cultural development with specialized professional training. Most especially, they are challenged to continue the search for truth and for meaning throughout their lives, since "the human spirit must be cultivated in such a way that there results a growth in its ability to wonder, to understand, to contemplate, to make personal judgments, and to develop a religious, moral, and social sense"(23). This enables them to acquire or, if they have already done so, to deepen a Christian way of life that is authentic. They should realize the responsibility of their professional life, the enthusiasm of being the trained 'leaders' of tomorrow, of being witnesses to Christ in whatever place they may exercise their profession.

Do us students always "pursue excellence"? All too often, I think the answer is no. We procrastinate our readings and assignments, so that they are both done haphazardly at the last minute, and we hardly remember the readings beyond the class we discussed them in. We get away with it, get marks that are "ok", and continue in that way. Personally, I think I've improved in this regard since coming to Notre Dame, mostly because I'm much more engrossed in my theology studies than I ever was in my Maths or Physics at USyd. But I look back with regret, wishing I had put in a bit more effort. I was certainly far from being "the model student".

In terms of our essays (or any assignment), there is a tendency to set the bar low. If we "happen" to get a D or even an HD, that's very nice, but aiming for that every time is a bit much. As long as we get by, or we're not at the bottom of the class, then that suffices. After all, Ps get degrees, don't they? Well, they do, but that is hardly what I would call a pursuit of excellence. Probably we could all do a bit of thinking about how seriously we take our studies, but that suggestion weighs most heavily on Catholic students, I'd say, since we are striving to imitate Christ in all things. How did He spend His first thirty years? In quiet, humble obedience, working diligently away. Would He have been a halfhearted carpenter? I think not. This call to take our study seriously weighs even more heavily on theology students, since we are writing about the things of God, and, in a certain way, justice demands that we do out utmost to learn and present the truths of God faithfully. To do so requires no little effort. Check out some hard-hitting remonstrances from St Josemaria to everyone, regardless of profession, regarding study- he doesn't, however, advocate for study at the expense of prayer. Interior life and study go together.

With regards to the challenge to continue our search for the truth through our whole lives, an interesting phenomenon can be observed in the logos programme (the compulsory core curriculum). Many students seem to resent it, calling it a "waste of time", "so annoying", "stupid", 'boring" or "irrelevant". Part of the frustration has probably lain in it being a rather confusing program in terms of logistics and admin. But even in terms of the content, of what one learns, and the questions one is forced to ask, it is concerning to me that so many would find it boring or irrelevant. These are the most relevant questions to your life that you can possibly ask! "Why am I here? What's the meaning of my life? How can I discern what is right and what is wrong? Is there a God?" and so forth. Such attitudes betray the general apathy that plagues our society. Hopefully the core curriculum manages to stimulate a sense of wonder in some of the students, and impresses upon them the notion of objective truths that they ought to seek.

JPII goes on to say that this search enables them to aquire a Christian way of life. Obviously it is preferable that people attain this ASAP. The Christain worldview does much to alleviate confusion bad decision-making so prevalent in our culture. The sooner a person finds their life illuminated by the light of Christ, the better for them, in every possible sense. Thus, I think this certainly suggests what will be touched on later, the importance of evangelisation to non-Christian, or non-practicing Christian students at the university.

What does this mean for theology students in particular? It means we should be supplementing the work of the logos programme, by stimulating discussions about the most significant things in life with our fellow-students outside the classroom. Not in a pushy way, obviously. But in the context of authentic relationships. This means we need authentic relationships with non-theology non-Catholic students! And, practically speaking, this is actually a bit difficult to realise. I'll speak more on this another time.

I was going to also talk about theologians in general, not just students, but I think that's quite enough for one day!

Part I: The heart of a Catholic University- the School of Philosophy and Theology

[Part II is also available]

On my orientation day for my Bachelor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia, we had a little intro talk from the head of the School of Philosophy and Theology. I actually can't remember exactly what he said, but I remember being generally impressed, and excited at the prospect of studying at such a fine institution. One line, however, has stuck with me:

"The School of Philosophy and Theology should be the heart of a Catholic University."

My beautiful university

Now that sounds very nice. But what does it mean, practically? This is why it has stuck with me, I think. Because it sounds quite profound, and yet I haven't quite been able to put my finger on what it should look like.

Until now!!

After months and months of reflection on this point, I think I finally have some coherent thoughts. They have become much clearer since I read Pope JPII's Ex Corde Ecclesia- On Catholic Universities. The title comes from its first line, which says that Catholic Universities are born from the heart of the Church. How beautiful! Since JPII always expresses things wonderfully, I'll be relying on this document quite a bit. So, to begin.

Firstly, what is a university?

"An academic community which, in a rigorous and critical fashion, assists in the protection and advancement of human dignity and of a cultural heritage through research, teaching and various services offered to the local, national and international communities."

So a university is an institution of learning, in which the learned hand on the knowledge that previous generations have accumulated through teaching, and strive to add to that knowledge themselves through research.

What is unique about a Catholic university?

"It must have the following essential characteristics:

1. a Christian inspiration not only of individuals but of the university community as such;
2. a continuing reflection in the light of the Catholic faith upon the growing treasury of human knowledge, to which it seeks to contribute by its own research;
3. fidelity to the Christian message as it comes to us through the Church;
4. an institutional commitment to the service of the people of God and of the human family in their pilgrimage to the transcendent goal which gives meaning to life."

"In the light of these four characteristics, it is evident that besides the teaching, research and services common to all Universities, a Catholic University, by institutional commitment, brings to its task the inspiration and light of the Christian message. In a Catholic University, therefore, Catholic ideals, attitudes and principles penetrate and inform university activities in accordance with the proper nature and autonomy of these activities. In a word, being both a University and Catholic, it must be both a community of scholars representing various branches of human knowledge, and an academic institution in which Catholicism is vitally present and operative"(18).

"A Catholic University, therefore, is a place of research, where scholars scrutinize reality with the methods proper to each academic discipline, and so contribute to the treasury of human knowledge. Each individual discipline is studied in a systematic manner; moreover, the various disciplines are brought into dialogue for their mutual enhancement.
In addition to assisting men and women in their continuing quest for the truth, this research provides an effective witness, especially necessary today, to the Church's belief in the intrinsic value of knowledge and research.

In a Catholic University, research necessarily includes

• the search for an integration of knowledge, 
• a dialogue between faith and reason, 
• an ethical concern, and 
• a theological perspective."

In summary:

A Catholic university is an institution of learning that involves the whole person, and allows the light of the Christ to permeate all aspects of research, study, and community life. 

Part II