Carolyn Perez (American Studies, Letter to Provost)

Dear Dr. Burish [University Provost]:

I am currently a senior American Studies major at Notre Dame. I was recently nominated by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in my major to take part in a discussion about possible changes to the core curriculum with Dean Greg Crawford and Dean John McGreevy. I am writing to you because I am concerned about the University’s core curriculum review. It has come to my attention that there is a strong push to significantly reduce or even eliminate the requirement of two Theology courses for Notre Dame students.

Throughout my four years, I have been continually amazed by and grateful for Notre Dame’s distinctive Catholic community. I chose Notre Dame because it is the world’s premier Catholic University and I need not further explain the uniqueness and worldwide fame of Notre Dame. Removing, or even diminishing, the theology requirement for undergraduate students would severely undermine the University’s mission and would rob students—especially those who wouldn’t normally seek out theology classes—from an introduction to theology, Scripture, and the Catholic tradition on which Notre Dame prides itself.

The theology classes I took here at Notre Dame are incredibly valuable to me. Not only did they challenge me to think critically in a way that I was not used to, but they also instilled in me a genuine love for my Catholic faith, and a desire to continue to seek it out in other ways. As a result of these classes, I have engaged in conversations and participated in service projects and activities with my peers that have shaped me into the person I am today.

I strongly believe that if Notre Dame wants to have a core curriculum and simultaneously pride itself in being a Catholic University, theology classes must be part of its core curriculum for the very reasons the University articulated 10 years ago. If you do feel strongly that the theology requirement needs to be revised, I would encourage you to look at ways of modifying the current structure without taking away the number of mandatory classes. Professor John Cavadini’s “The Catholic Faith” could be a good course to look at and could even be considered as an alternative for the current foundational theology course.

I am confident that if you are really committed to maintaining the University’s Catholic mission, you will fight to keep the theology requirement as part of the core curriculum. Thank you for all of the work you do at Notre Dame, and for taking the time to read my letter. Please continue to listen to the voices of students like me who are proud of Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and who want to keep it alive in all aspects of student life.

Analise (Lipari) Bower

I am '09 and '11 (M.Ed.) alum, and I can't emphasize enough how much the theology curriculum and requirements at Notre Dame influenced my life.

In the spring of 2006, I stepped foot into my first theology course at ND. The professor was a graduate student from the Philippines, Ray Aguas, and I had read that his Intro course focused on something called "liberation theology." At the time, I considered myself fairly moderate in terms of politics, faith, and most other things in life (except exercise. Forget that nonsense. College was for class, football, sleeping, and unlimited dining hall refills of tater tots), and I was nervous about Ray's class. Would he try to persuade or dissuade me re: something I held as (an albeit "moderate") core belief? What was the deal? Still, I bought my textbooks (including, most notably, Jesus Before Christianity and On Job) and showed up 10 minutes early (another area where I believed there was no room for moderation -- punctuality).

In short, that class -- and Ray's influence -- transformed me. I consider that class the first of a series of stones that changed the course of the river that was, and is, my life. Ray taught me to question what I knew; to see Christianity as infinitely more than "Do good. Be nice." Instead, Christianity became an electric force of social justice, the radical means by which the Kingdom in all of its glory and majesty could be brought forth. The Kingdom wasn't just reunion with God in Heaven. The Kingdom was NOW.

Wow.

Given this new lens on life, God, my faith, and myself, the next year I pursued a course on faith and justice taught by a professor who resided at the South Bend Catholic Worker house. That class was my first exposure to Dorothy Day; reading The Long Loneliness struck a deep core within me, and to this day I strive to live according to her example as a living saint (though, as she most famously said, she wouldn't be 'resigned' to that title).

Inspired by both courses, I was a Notre Dame Vision mentor-in-faith in the summer of 2007. If my first theology courses transformed me, being a Vision mentor transfigured me and everything around me through the Holy Spirit. I am still friends with my fellow mentors, and I still feel inspired by the call to see others in the Eucharist. The Body of Christ; amen.

I could go on and on about my faith-based experiences at Notre Dame -- interning with a low-income parish in the East End of London during my semester abroad; leading retreats through campus ministry; worshiping at dorm masses; joining a women's discernment group senior year; teaching after graduation through the Alliance for Catholic Education -- but this email would be about 80 paragraphs long. Suffice to say, without stepping into that first theology class, there's no way I would be living my life as I try to live it to this day. I have taught since 2011 at a Jesuit school for boys in Washington, DC that serves students from low-income backgrounds for 0 tuition. My faith is the lifeblood of my work; just trying to bring about the Kingdom, one day at a time.

And if it hadn't been a requirement? Who knows if I would have found Ray and liberation theology? Who knows if I would have learned about faith and justice as an adult? Who knows if I'd still be practicing?

Who knows if I would have simply kept living my life in moderation?

Don't be moderate, Notre Dame. Be different. Keep theology in the core requirements. The ripple effect is beyond anything I could have imagined. Let no one say we dreamt too small.

Emily Lyons (Educator)

From the University's Mission Statement: 

"The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic academic community of higher learning, animated from its origins by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The University is dedicated to the pursuit and sharing of truth for its own sake. As a Catholic university, one of its distinctive goals is to provide a forum where, through free inquiry and open discussion, the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity."

The intersection of Catholic thought and all knowledge can only happen when students are educated in Catholic thought in particular. American Catholics are woefully un- or under-educated in their faith. As America's premier Catholic university, I am asking that Notre Dame be a leader. 

As an ACE graduate, I strove to carry Notre Dame's mission of educating the whole person, mind, body, and spirit, to the classroom. I am blessed to still work in a Catholic high school after graduation. Even though I am no longer a Notre Dame student, I still consider myself an ambassador for the university. Every morning, I put my class ring on, ND logo facing outward, to remind myself to bring ND to the world. That includes the essential knowledge I learned in my theology classes. I do not think I could encourage my students to apply to my alma mater without the theology requirement. Notre Dame without a theology requirement is Catholic in name only, and I want my students to continue their education at an authentically Catholic school. Please, keep the theology requirement!

Caitlin Shaughnessy Dwyer (College Professor)

My THEO101 class changed my life.  I came to Notre Dame with plans to major in Political Science and from there to pursue a career in politics.  I wanted to change the world for the better by changing laws.  My first theology class at Notre Dame gave my life a whole new trajectory.  

I still remember the content of that class quite well.  We studied Plato's Republic, passages from the Old and New Testament, and St. Augustine's Confessions.  The professor made connections between Theology and Philosophy, showed the way the different books of the Bible worked together to give a cohesive message of God's love for and desire for relationship with his people, and discussed the nature of conversion, insights I had yet to encounter despite my previous 15 years of Catholic education.  Through that class, I fell in love with theology, chose it as my major (I completed my degree in 2006, the year I won the Gertrude Austin Marti Award in Theology), and to this day I have never tired of studying it.  

In fact, I chose to go to pursue the study of theology at the graduate level.  In 2010, I received my M.T.S. from the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. I am now an adjunct professor of Theology at Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, KY where I live with my husband and three children.  I am not changing any laws, but I still believe I am changing the world through sharing my theological education with my students, my family, my friends, and my children.

I recognize that most students will not choose to major in Theology after their THEO101 class.  However, I do think the majority of future University Notre Dame students will be robbed of potentially life-changing insights and fundamental knowledge about themselves and their Maker should you choose to deprive them of two required courses in Theology.

Jeffrey Gerlomes (London School of Economics)

I'll never forget the hour-long car ride that my father and I spent talking about faith, reason, and the pursuit of truth. For me, that conversation after my sophomore year at Notre Dame crystallized the meaning and importance of my entire undergraduate education.

The ideas that I was so privileged to study in theology (and philosophy) will probably never put clothes on my back or a roof over my head, but they are precisely the difference between another good education and one so great as to be irreplaceable. Our country's great colleges and universities are looking too much like glorified job-training centers these days, but Notre Dame remains a place committed to the notion that the Truth is just plain worth knowing.

Notre Dame's core curriculum and the whole structure for students' advising need plenty of work, to be sure, and I'm glad to see the curriculum review considering the pedagogical issues raised by Advanced Placement. For the work that they do in high school and the money that their parents pay, Notre Dame students ought to demand some real structure from their university. Theology, regardless of individual academic interests, is the indispensable foundation of that structure.

Theology, not fine art or social science touching on religious themes, is how we take all of the amazing and disparate things that we learn from Dante Alighieri and Stephen Hawking and Stanley Kubrick and find in them a unique vocation that leads us through life to that ultimate Truth.

In his memoir God, Country, Notre Dame Fr. Hesburgh writes with great pride about his work as university president to transform the "Religion" curriculum into a serious academic program in theology. Let's not go back to the 1950s.

Elizabeth Owers (Medical Student)

I graduated from Notre Dame in May 2014 with a major in Science Pre-professional Studies and a minor in Catholic Social Tradition. I am currently a student at LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. Having followed the recent events regarding potential changes to the curriculum with great interest, I wanted to share my thoughts specifically on the importance of the theology requirement.

As a pre-medical student, there is a very good chance that I would not have taken a theology course until my senior year, if at all, had it not been required. Yet my freshman introduction to theology class, taught by Dr. James VanderKam, opened my eyes to how much I enjoyed the discipline and led me to take some sort of theology course every semester during my time at Notre Dame. These classes were as challenging as my science classes, if not more, because they required a degree of spiritual engagement in addition to the intellectual rigor I experienced through the rest of the curriculum.

At its best, science is beautiful. In detailing physical, chemical, and biological processes, it gives a glimpse into the mind of the Creator who ordered the natural world. At its worst, though, it leads the student to believe that reason alone can answer every question, that human intellect precludes the need for faith in a higher power. Including theology classes in a science curriculum actively works against this latter perspective and instead provides a lens and vocabulary through which to appreciate and articulate the amazing creative power of God.

As a future physician, I am confident that my theology background will have a significant impact on the compassion and quality of care I will provide for my patients. It would be a shame for Notre Dame to deprive future students of the same opportunities to study God’s love for us so that they too might share it with those they will serve.

Kaitlin Sullivan (Political Science and PPE)

I'm a Class of 2010 graduate in Political Science and PPE (philosophy, politics, and economics). I reflect on my theology courses at Notre Dame more than any of the other courses that I took as a student; they were an integral part of my University education. 

I still remember Msgr. Heintz beginning my Theo 101 course by explaining the difference between theology and religious studies and how important it was that we practiced theology at Notre Dame. We did not treat the study of religion as just another field, like sociology or anthropology, that offers insights about the human experience but has little bearing on personal faith. Being able to practice theology (and philosophy for that matter) is a distinct and important part of the Notre Dame experience. It would be a true loss if it was removed from the core curriculum.

Andrew Wieging

From my understanding, this debate over the Core Curriculum is less about fully abolishing the Theology requirement as it is than  of making it able to be fulfilled in different ways, namely by taking course related to "the Catholic intellectual tradition" with examples of courses on Renaissance art or Dante. I admit that this does seem like an interesting idea but I just can't reconcile it. I would think that the theology portion of those examples would be marginalized as just being a brief bit that must be covered in class. This would not necessarily be the fault of the professors, it would just be human nature. A professor who is teaching on Dante or art wants to teach about those subjects, not just theology. There are just too many facets to be covered in those courses to give theology its due. On top of that, the Theology Department already offers many classes with varying subjects to meet everyone's interest, either through direct THEO department classes or through the cross-listings they have approved. 

My first theology was one of my favorite classes in first year. I admit there were times when I didn't want to be there but that was probably because it was an 8:00 class. It taught me things that I had never learned through a life of Catholic schooling, although I will admit that I did know a decent amount of it. But whether you knew something going in wasn't really the point so much as being able to discuss the topics and, by discussing them, come to a newer and deeper appreciation of your faith. It's all about reforging yourself as a better person. Very few other departments let you do that, which makes theology (and philosophy) an absolute must. 

My second theology was all about the Greek Orthodox Church. An Orthodox priest, who was also a Notre Dame alumnus, taught the course in Athens. It was one of the most interesting classes I had, but I never would have taken it had I not needed to fill my requirement. This shows exactly why you need to maintain the two theology requirement. Without that requirement, a student is more likely to get caught up in their major. If that happens, they will miss some of the best and most thought-provoking courses offered by the university. Without these courses, Notre Dame loses a part of itself and fails to fully realize the goal of educating the whole person.

Joseph Grone

I am a proud alumnus of the University of Notre Dame, having received my BA in Theology in 2010 and my MA in Theology in 2012.  I care deeply for the University, and I am passionate about what the University can be.  However, I am concerned to hear that the Core Curriculum Review Committee would consider eliminating the Undergraduate Theology Requirement, especially when it is the stated goal of Notre Dame to "nurture the formation of the mind, body, and spirit."  Rather than being taken away, the presence of Theology in the Core must be enhanced.

The Mission Statement of the University of Notre Dame states, "As a Catholic university, one of its distinctive goals is to provide a forum where, through free inquiry and open discussion, the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity."  If this is truly how we consider our mission, then we simply cannot afford to lose the one tangible tie to the "various lines of Catholic thought."  Where is the intersection of Catholic thought with the arts, sciences, and professions if there is no study of that Catholic thought in a detailed, comprehensive way?  Certainly, having studied catechetics and currently teaching in a Catholic high school, I recognize that Catholic thought can be integrated into other classes in a cross-curricular manner, providing a multi-faceted approach. Indeed, the Mission Statement does further acknowledge the need for this approach: "There is, however, a special obligation and opportunity, specifically as a Catholic university, to pursue the religious dimensions of all human learning." Yet if we don't contextualize these pursuits with deep, intentional consideration of the Catholic theological tradition, these steps become aimless, structures without a firm foundation.

There can be no true intersection between faith and reason if we abandon the application of reason to faith.

If Notre Dame can claim any impact on the world, I would argue that it is precisely because of the role Theology has played at the University.  There are plenty of schools that offer very effective instruction in business, science, engineering, the liberal arts, and so on, and many of them will seek to have an ethical framework for doing so.  However, this University claims to be Catholic, and this University claims that it is thus her responsibility to integrate that faith into every field of study, and so we do.  Bridges are built across disciplines in learning objectives and in conversation, but there is no greater bridge that can be built between theology and the other disciplines than to explicitly instruct students in both.  It's not only the prerogative of the University but the right of the students to experience a deep consideration of the Church's theology.  To require some subjects (Math, Science, Fine Arts, etc.) but not Theology is to inherently devalue Theology as a discipline, Theology's role in a Catholic education, and most of all the role Catholic theology plays at those intersections of faith and reason.  How can one take theological contributions seriously if it is not held on the same level as other 'serious' disciplines?

Speaking from personal experience, I simply would not be where I am today without the theological requirement at Notre Dame.  When I entered the University, I had a wide range of interests for my studies, even deciding that while I was interested in Theology, I would take on a major in anything but Theology.  It was my first year introductory Theology course with (then-doctoral candidate) John Perry that awakened a real passion in me and my second Theology course on Christian understandings of Sanctification with (then-doctoral candidate) Daria Lucas that helped me to see the depths that theology could go.  In every other class I took, I found myself actively considering the content more boldly and more rigorously through the eyes of faith.  Theology formed the focal point of the academic experience, where my knowledge and understanding could be placed around a solid center.  I will acknowledge that my case is by no means universal, but it demonstrates an important point: when the required courses in Theology are done well, it offers a truly holistic academic experience, one that upholds the Catholic humanistic notion that the individual only attains to perfection in the encounter with the divine.

And this, I believe, ought to be the true approach towards the theology requirement: enhance it. It is indeed my opinion that more classes should be added to the Theology requirement at Notre Dame, but at the very least, the classes that are present must be strengthened.  The unity of the curriculum would not merely be upheld, but rather elevated.  Increase the requirement, adjust the content, adjust the teaching rotation, but in no way should the Theology requirement be reduced or eliminated.

At the University of Notre Dame, the education in Catholic theology does hold and should continue to hold the place of utmost priority in the education of every student.  I beg you to uphold that prominence and not only retain the Undergraduate Theology Requirement, but to encourage measures to strengthen it.

Brad Stalcup (Computer Science)

When I was a young, energetic, and well-rested Freshman, I was questioning my motives for coming to Notre Dame.  I had abandoned all my friends who stayed in-state, and moved ever so far away from my family.  The typical struggles countless Notre Dame freshmen go through.  And after enduring a brutally cold winter (now I know it was just a mild winter for South Bend) I was questioning my decision to come to Notre Dame.  Which is good!

Any good decision can stand up to questioning and doubts and prevail.  The only way you'll go through life without doubts is if you pull wool over your eyes and shut your ears off.  But I needed to justify to myself just why I came to this University, beyond the fact that I had grown up loving the place. That answer didn't come when or how I expected it to.

I thought I had developed a good reason by the end of Freshman year.  I had made some friends, and found a home in my dorm.  But those reasons were all blown out of the water when I took my second theology, Catholic Moral Theology, my whole worldview was transformed.  I spent my time walking in between class thinking about it, and it was the first class I actually did all the readings for.  It shed light on the real reason I came to Notre Dame, to be transformed.

Notre Dame is a renewing experience.  For me, the main catalyst in that catharsis was the Theology in the core curriculum.  After that class, my GPA went way up, my work ethic skyrocketed, and not only had I become a better student, but I had become a better person; a better Catholic.  It was really my first encounter with the truly Catholic nature of this University, and it overwhelmed me.

It wasn't just about rediscovering my faith, it was about rediscovering myself.  Nor was it just about me learning the inner workings of Thomistic virtue; it was about figuring out how I ought to live my life.  The Theology requirement in the core curriculum opened these doors for me, and I pray that others might not have these doors closed to them.

Matthew Fallon (ALPH and Psychology)

I am a senior majoring in ALPH and psychology and I believe that the second theology class is fundamental to our identity as a Catholic institute of higher learning.

As a student who has gone through Catholic school since before I could read, theology courses have been an important part of my education and invaluable in developing and strengthening my Catholic identity. I have many friends who are Catholic or Protestant and have not gone through so many theology courses and they have a difficult time explaining their own beliefs, where they come from in Scripture and Tradition, and even how they differ from other communions or denominations. After my many years of theology courses, my first theology requirement at Notre Dame was almost entirely a review of what I had learned in my previous courses, though it offered opportunity for Catholic and non-Catholic members of the class to engage in theological discussion. The second theology course requirement is where students who already have a good grasp of their faith can explore areas of their faith that interest them more and allow them to think critically about their faith and the Church and how to live as an example to both in their life. The requirement of two semesters of theology for every student allows non-Catholic students the opportunity to learn what Catholicism is actually about, rather than the popular insults about it, and that it is a faith that is always evolving as its faithful must always continue to evolve in their faith through education and reflection. 

I believe that the deepening questions and reflections present in the second theology requirement is a necessary part of a Catholic education, especially at “the nation’s premier Catholic university”, and it serves as a reminder that we must make room in our academic pursuits and ambitions to delve into the depths of our faith, or at least the faith of the university that we have chosen to attend.

Greg Walker, MD (Class of 1985, Parent)

When my daughters were high school students and investigating potential colleges to attend, our family toured [two other Catholic] campuses.  What was quite apparent on our tours was the significant emphasis to minimize the Catholic character of each institution. The well-spoken, energetic student tour guide at [the first campus] enthusiastically volunteered to the prospective students and their parents several times that one does not have to be Catholic to attend [there] and she was quite proud that she was raised Catholic but felt the unsolicited need to share that she has attended Mass “maybe twice in the last four years.”  At [the other school], our pleasant tour guide actually mentioned that religion is not even considered important at the University, and in fact there was very little display of anything that one might expect at a Catholic institution.  Not once did anyone mention a church or chapel on [this] campus.  At each school’s general session, discussants similarly deemphasized the Catholic nature of the institution.  These impressions were not subtle.   I couldn’t help myself during these sessions to yearn for the University of Notre Dame, where one does not have to apologize for one’s religious background, and where an underlying theme to attract competitive students is not one of undermining the original nature of the University.

It has now been disseminated that at Notre Dame, there is discussion of eliminating or reducing the Theology course requirement.  This comes at a time just after Catholic college presidents met in Washington January 31 – February 2 to discuss how to assist their students “embrace their faith or come to understand what it means.” (Pittsburgh Catholic, February 13, 2015).  I fear that making such a drastic curriculum change will move us closer to the ideals of other previously strong Catholic universities which have sacrificed their identities for the sake of “advancing” their educational agendas.  At Notre Dame, it has always been a place where religion and scholarship could coexist.  By choosing Notre Dame, and subsequently enrolling in two undergraduate Theology courses, the student of any faith can gain understanding of the Catholic teachings.  

The offerings “Introduction to Theology” and “Theology of the Eucharist” that I was fortunate to study while at ND were very important in my understanding of the Bible and certainly expanded my understanding of the Catholic faith.  These courses provided a basis to view our Church and its teachings as they apply to us on a daily basis in our lives.  I suspect that many students have felt similarly about their experiences.  I do not believe that eliminating three or six credits and replacing them with other electives will have an adverse effect in the eventual success of our students or place them at a competitive disadvantage in their careers or pursuit of graduate studies.  In fact, by potentially eliminating Theology (or likewise Philosophy) requirements, the Notre Dame student will become a little less dissimilar to students from other colleges that do not offer or require thought in these essential subjects.  My opinion is that, generally, the intellectual development of our students will certainly not be advanced by this proposed curriculum change.

I am saddened by the fact that eliminating the Theology courses could even be considered at Notre Dame.  A student can gain a solid grounding in their field of study, along with a fine Theology background, at many Catholic institutions of higher learning throughout the country.  However, the traditionally strongest academic schools seem to be leaning away from combining the missions of their founders, and sacrificing some heretofore essential elements of their learning process.  At our children’s Catholic grade school, I notice our University is looked at by many parents and educators, and often referenced, for its leadership in scholarship, service, religious teachings and ethics in sporting endeavors, to name a few areas mentioned.  It is almost inconceivable that one would reference Notre Dame as a place where Theology courses are no longer deemed essential.  

What’s next, eliminating religion from our grade schools to open time for another language class or advanced Mathematics course?  I just do not understand why we need to sacrifice anything to continue to be a great research university, or for that matter to have great Catholic high schools or excellent Catholic grade schools.  I strongly believe Notre Dame should remain a leader in their resistance to the forces that attempt to make such changes.  I hope and pray that there may be strong consideration of continuing the Theology requirements for the Notre Dame undergraduate student.

At Notre Dame, we like to ask “What would you fight for?”  Let’s fight to keep our undergraduate Theology requirements.

John Fahy

At age 30, my life's work is quickly becoming apparent: I help young people find Christ in the Church he founded. I'm a theologian, a catechist, and an apologist. I'm a retreat leader and a spiritual director. I'm a husband and a father motivated deeply by my faith and the faith of my family, devoted to Catholic schools, raising my sons in the faith, and praying earnestly with them that they become saints. It's good work.

None of this would be the case if it weren't for Notre Dame's core curriculum requirements in theology. I came to South Bend a disenchanted, apathetic cradle-Catholic. I was certain that I knew better than the Church, and I was destined for law school. This seemed good enough, my having no notable vocation or passion. 

It was Professor William Mattison, in Theology 101, who told me that I should consider doing more Theology, a remark that I'll never forget. The next year, Professor Margaret Pfeil totally wowed me in her course on War and Nonviolence. Her friendly advice, and the model of lively faith she offered, remain in my mind when I teach today. Beginning to listen to the whispers of grace, I declared a minor in theology. My undergraduate studies entranced me, leading to a graduate degree with those same theologians, and an entirely new life. It started in Theology 101.

I can identify key moments where almost every one of my professors offered an insight or encouragement that remains with me to this day. Professors Jean Porter, Randall Zachman, Gerry McKenny, David Fagerberg, Jennifer Herdt. Fathers Brian Daley, Paulinus Odozor, Michael Driscoll, Charles Gordon. The people doing theology at Notre Dame—past, present, and future—deserve the chance to continue disrupting students' lives. And students deserve that disruption, when theology leads them into the heart of grace, the heart of the Church, and the heart of God. It sometimes starts in Theology 101.

Caroline Cole (Architecture)

I graduated in 2012 with a major in architecture and a minor in theology. I came to Notre Dame because I wanted to study architecture at a Catholic school and be able to take theology courses in addition to my architecture classes. During my first few years, I saw architecture and theology as two separate things competing for my attention. At one point in the fall of my Sophomore year, I even considered switching out of architecture to be a theology major. I decided not to, however.

In my third and fourth years, I began to realize that there was a great deal of overlap in what I was learning in architecture and theology. The Classical architecture that is taught at Notre Dame is based on a philosophical foundation of objective goodness, truth, and beauty. Having a theological grounding in the concept of objective Truth vs. relativism helped me to better understand this aspect of Classical architecture. 

Conversely, some concepts that were first presented to me in architectural terms were later presented in a theological context. In particular, a class I took on Liturgical Theology with Prof. David Fagerberg helped me realize how important architecture can be theologically. In the Sacraments, the Lord comes to us through physical matter. As an architect, I have the opportunity to shape physical matter so that it will contribute to the right ordering of the world, and possibly even be an instrument of grace.

I am currently pursuing a career in sacred architecture, which lies at the intersection of architecture and theology. If I had studied one without the other, just architecture or just theology, I'm not sure that I would have ended up discovering the richness they give to each other. I am so grateful that I had the unique opportunity at Notre Dame to study both with excellent professors in each area.

I offer my personal experience as a reason to keep the theology requirement in the Core Curriculum. By studying theology, which is the Truth that all other disciplines participate in, students may come to see new aspects of other fields that they never would have encountered otherwise. Theology alone can unite all subject areas into a true university. Thank you for offering it to each and every student, and please, continue to do so in the future.

Sami Burr

I came into my undergrad years not really sure what I wanted to study. I started in Engineering, but quickly discovered that wasn't a good fit. The program was incredible but I just wasn't able to develop and share my own personal talents. 

My Foundations of Theology course, taught impeccably well by a doctoral student, settled the question. I was good at Theology, I was being challenged in exciting ways in Theology, and I discovered that the world needs theologians. 

It was in my second theology course, where an incredible cross section of engineers, scientists, business students and arts and letters majors came together, that I realized the world needs a better understanding of theology in all areas of life. If we are truly going to live as Catholics, as Christians, we need to understand who Jesus was and what he reveals about God to us. We need to understand what the Church is and how it carries on the mission of Christ. We need to understand what are own personal vocation is, and how each of us has a unique call to grow closer to the Lord and help others grow closer as well. 

Not everyone will be a theology major, but at a Catholic university, students should leave with the understanding that theology is a serious study that merits some consideration by all of us, because we are all called to grow closer to God. 

Alison Quinn (Letter to Fr. Jenkins)

Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C.,

I’m writing to discuss the current review of the core curriculum that the University of Notre Dame is undergoing and the chance of the elimination of the two required theology courses.

I am an alumna of the class of 2014 and a current graduate student of the Department of Theology. I write this not as a theology student but as a student of Notre Dame. At the university, I was active in many places, most being outside of Campus Ministry or Theology.  I like to believe that I took full potential of my Notre Dame experience and I would like to thank your administration for making this possible.

I must take this time to remind you, Father Jenkins, of something you said in August 2010. I was a nervous freshman and left home for the first time. The final day of Frosh-O included, the class mass. Much like the Baccalaureate Mass this past May, the class of 2014 sat on the floor with our families and loved ones watching from above. In August 2010, you told our class that Notre Dame will provide us the opportunity for education. Though this seemed like an obvious statement, you went further on to explain the root of educate, to draw out. You told me and the rest of my class of scared freshman that Notre Dame will draw out of us our best selves if we allow it. Father Jenkins, you were right.

At Notre Dame, I became a person I was proud of. At Notre Dame, I learned from many experiences and mistakes. At Notre Dame, I was allowed to explore, grow, and form into the best person I could be. Father Jenkins, much of this is because of what you said. I fear for the day where the first and second theology requirements are not really theology department classes but “Catholic Studies”. I fear because when I took my first theology, I stubbornly fell in love. I was a freshman determined to study Pre-Professional Studies in the College of Arts and Letters. Yet, my professor, because he was in the department of theology, encouraged me to explore. He did this not because I succeeded in his class, but because he saw something in me that I was unwilling to see. Through the department of Theology, I was able to uncover my vocation, to realize where God was working in my life. Through the first two theology requirements, I realized more about my faith and my life so much so that I am continuing my studies.

I realize my story is not universal. I understand there are students at the university who are not Catholic or do not have the call to study theology. However, the two requirements of theology allow space for all of us to grow. It gives a base knowledge to the civil engineer and starts the beginning for someone like me. It exposes the entire community to theology. Simone Weil writes that it is in the pursuit of Truth that the world makes sense. Truth with a capital T, leads to the little t truths of the world. Theology exposes the entire student community to Truth, thereby allowing them to make sense of truths in other areas of study. Theology is our faith seeking understanding (St. Anslem), but it also allows understanding to seek faith.

The two required theology courses create the space for students such as me, who would have been too stubborn to take a real theology class, to finally listen. I had to take that first theology class, and I thank God for that. You told us that Notre Dame forms us into the best person we can be, it truly educates us. I agree and I would not be in the position I am in today without the theology requirements.

Notre Dame is a Catholic university, no one can argue with that. However, I worry we enter into dangerous territory when the university merely looks Catholic and does not integrate it into all areas including the core-curriculum.

Thank you, Father Jenkins, for taking the time to read this letter.

Alison Quinn
Class of 2014
Echo 11 - Parish Apprentice and Graduate Student of Theology
Diocese of St. Augustine

Lauren Jepson

I was not a theology major, but my theology classes were some of the most thought-provoking and enlightening classes I took while in college. I'm not sure if I'd taken them without the requirement, but I loved them so much that I took a 3rd during my senior year.

The questions and answers introduced by amazing professors that we discussed in class are some of the greatest things I have taken from my college experience, and have so truly made me more thoughtful regarding matters of faith, philosophy, and life.

To take away the requirement would be such an incredible loss for Notre Dame and her students, and it would appear to be a denial of our wonderful Catholic identity. Wrestling with the questions of God and our meaning in life are some of the most crucial questions we will face throughout our lifetime, and Notre Dame must continue placing value on these questions while equipping us to answer them.

Beth Wloszek (Accounting)

It did not take me long into my college experience to realize that it was not quite like those with whom I had gone to high school. The ethos of developing not just mind, but body and spirit, became the main differentiation I found before my friends' education and my whole person experience. The theology requirement at Notre Dame is an important piece of this education.

I was not a theology major, but the few theology classes I took challenged me to think outside of my accounting major, to look at my faith and the world around me. It is an essential aspect of the Catholic identity that our University was founded on. I truly hope that you continue the excellence of educating and encouraging growth in mind, body and spirit, starting with that Theology 101 class.

Laura McCarty (Occupational Therapy)

I am a 2011 graduate of the University of Notre Dame. I majored in Theology and Psychology during my time there, and although Psychology was fascinating and valuable in its way, Theology held an additional benefit. It was a discipline of the whole person: as I liked to say, if studying Theology wasn't making you a better person, then there was something missing.

I am extremely grateful for the formation I received in my Theology major, which gave me a firm understanding of each person's inviolable dignity. I am currently in my last year of occupational therapy school, a discipline that values each person regardless of what their physical or cognitive abilities enable them to do in society. This perspective, although reinforced by my time in graduate school, was first planted in my heart by my Theology degree. I will always be very grateful for that. 

This is why I believe that removing the Theology requirements from the first-year curriculum would be a tragic disservice to the student body. Theology at Notre Dame is primarily Catholic in nature, but it is also a place for formation of consciences as well as fostering perspectives on the intrinsic value of humanity.

Please do not deny the nature and mission of Notre Dame by removing this requirement: it would be a step away from forming the compassionate and open-minded students that Notre Dame professes to send out into the world.

Michelle Mowry (Law and Social Work)

I am a 2014 alumna studying social work and law at Washington University in St. Louis. I studied Sociology and French at ND. I am writing this testimonial in response to the possibility of changing the core curriculum at ND.

Over the course of my time at ND, I took three theology courses, two that were required and one that prepared me to work for Notre Dame Vision. Since leaving ND in May, I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about what sets ND apart from other universities. What sets ND apart is the theology and philosophy requirements that educate students in ways that they need, though they may not be aware of this need.

I was one of the many ND students who came to ND believing that my faith was rock solid and that I didn't need any theology courses to bolster it. However, what my theology courses gave me was the recognition that my faith needed more nurturing than what I was currently giving it. The third and final theology course that I took radically changed my life, showing me that I was living for myself instead of for others. Taking this theology course and subsequently working at Notre Dame Vision led me to a career in social work and law, where I will spend the rest of my life giving myself in service to others.

I could have spent four years at Notre Dame studying what I wanted to study, but this wouldn't have led me to discern my vocation. What theology at ND gave me was what I needed, though I wasn't aware of it. It helped me--and is still helping me-- to genuinely discern my vocation.

I think back to these courses almost daily, reflecting on the lessons they taught me that guide my life in meaningful ways. ND doesn't just give students what they ask for. It gives them what they need. Its mission to educate students holistically requires that it continue to meet this need, and theology is an integral part of this holistic education.

This is what sets ND apart from other universities. An education at ND is not just a product to be consumed. It is an opportunity to draw closer to God, to family, and to friends, and theology makes this possible.

As someone for whom theology opened doors that I didn't even know existed, I humbly ask you to reconsider changing the core curriculum at ND and to continue to go beyond giving students what they want and give them what they need. Thank you.

Lauren Crawford (Psychology)

I went to public school all my life, so discussing matters of faith in the classroom was a brand new experience to me at Notre Dame. I really enjoyed hearing the perspectives of my classmates, who represented different majors, hometowns, religious upbringings, and more, on matters such as who/what is God, what that means, and how we should approach the Bible. While these topics don't directly relate to much in my major (psychology), the discussions we had have given me a foundation for thinking and talking about theological issues in real life. 

1983 Alum and Parent of Graduates

My legacy at Notre Dame, Our Mother, goes back to the 1920s with my grandfather, then an uncle in the 50's, a brother in the late 70's, and me in the early 80's. I met my husband at Notre Dame, our two older children are graduates, our third child is currently a Senior, and our youngest is working hard to continue the legacy come Fall of 2016.

It is with great sadness that our beloved university's administration is even considering for a second to eliminate the theology requirements from the curriculum.  Why is it that we have to succumb to a society which is trying to eliminate God at a time when the world needs HIM the most.  And, for Notre Dame to want to eliminate theology from her curriculum is appalling.  The reason that Notre Dame is what it is is because we are unique from any other school.  We demand higher standards, principles, morals, values, academics, social expectations.  We are God, Country, Notre Dame....!

Don't take away our uniqueness.  Be proud of our Catholic foundation and what it stands for.  

Eileen Hoban (Science Business and Poverty Studies)

I am writing in response to the proposed changes to the Core Curriculum regarding minimizing or eliminating the current theology requirements. 

I am a junior Science Business major with a Poverty Studies minor. The theology requirement component of my education at Notre Dame is one of my most cherish aspects of the school. 

Last year I took Professor O'Malley's "Savoring the Mystery" course and it may sound cliche, but it changed my life. It was the first time my faith had been strengthened in an academic setting. I reference his course and the things I learned almost daily. On top of that, theology has given me a wider lenses to view my courses in other field such as science and math. 

Taking out the theology requirements would not only be detrimental to all students' faith lives, but also to their learning experience in all other fields. I strongly encourage you to rethink the proposal to minimize or eliminate the theology requirements.

Caroline Jansen (Math and Medieval Studies)

I don't have much to say about this, but as the theology requirement basically saved my relationship with God, I'm really distraught that Notre Dame may drop it from the curriculum.  

At first I dreaded the theology requirement when I decided to come here.  I was nominally Catholic but not invested in my faith; years of terrible catechesis convinced me that Christianity wasn't an intellectual exercise at all, but rather a banal exercise in trying to force yourself into feeling affection for a God up in the clouds somewhere.  Therefore, being required to take theology was the best thing that could have possibly happened for me--whereas I was near rejecting the faith, other than for fear of the possibility of hell, after taking even just Foundations at Notre Dame, I really started taking my faith seriously intellectually, which opened me up to a relationship with God.  I did not major in theology eventually.  (I ended up double majoring in Math and Medieval Studies, in the College of Science, so I would not have taken this class if not for the University Requirement.)  However, the Foundations of Theology class was one of the few ways attending Notre Dame radically changed my life.  I really, really hope other people will have a similar opportunity.

That's not to say that the Foundations classes don't need to be changed--from what I have heard, they vary widely in quality.  But reducing the theology requirement or eliminating it all together would be a terrible shame.

Lee Marsh (Graduate Accounting Student)

I transferred to Notre Dame with a declared major in theology, so admittedly I enjoy the subject with academic interest. Nonetheless I never heard anyone complain about the core two course requirement - in fact, just the opposite. Whatever many thought about having to sign up for a first, then a second theology class, I think most students enjoyed them in the end. Some much more than that! As you are no doubt learning, many student lives were significantly impacted by their experiences in core theology courses. That alone ought to be a worthy reason for keeping them in place. The variety of offerings meant there was always something to interest everyone.

To be of interest, however, is not the reason Notre Dame has traditionally required all students to take at least two theology courses. Nor has "practicality" been the justification. In a Catholic anthropology, theological inquiry is an essential experience for every human being. If Notre Dame takes seriously our Church's tradition of faith illuminating reason, and reason purifying faith, then the University cannot move forward with one hand behind its back. The study of God sheds light on all the disciplines and endeavors undertaken in His created world.

I ultimately did not pursue a career in public ministry or teaching. I never set foot in a Mendoza classroom, but I am now a graduate student in accounting. Studying theology at Notre Dame, however, remains the most formative academic experience I have had. I bring a different perspective than those who were not so fortunate to have studied theology, and I know that it will make me a better accountant as well. 

In the interest of keeping this short, I will end with some words from Blessed Basil Moreau's Christian Education:

"Indeed, what would it matter to children to know how to read, write, calculate, or draw, or to learn a couple of ideas on history, geography, geometry, physics, and chemistry, if they are unaware of their duties to God, to others, and to society?"

Patrick Clardy

While there are many things I have taken away from my Notre Dame education, many of the best (and most unexpected) benefits of that education came from courses that I took as part of the core curriculum. Included in these would be Irish language 1&2 and the two required theology courses. For reference, the classes I had were an introductory course taught by Shawn Colberg and a class on War, Peace, and Conscience, taught by a professor who lived at the Catholic Worker in South Bend. The lessons I learned in these courses have grown stronger with time. 

These courses gave me a comprehensive look at the Bible (I've kept my notes from Prof. Colberg's class, because it is the only place I've gotten a good explanation for many scripture passages) and fostered a deeper concern for the crises that face our world and my role as a Catholic, a Notre Dame graduate, and a human being in responding to those crises and living my faith.

An appreciation for the Catholic faith, both in word and in action, seems like an essential part of a Catholic education. This was not something I had the privilege of receiving during my primary and secondary education in the public school system. While I am a Catholic, I believe that the lessons taught by theology courses can help form the conscience, create social concern and inspire action, and stimulate independent thinking and a deeper sense of devotion for people of all faiths. These are lessons that just cannot be communicated in the same way in other disciplines. In fact, if I had the choice to change any part of the core education I received, I would have likely replaced my philosophy courses with additional theology courses to explore the unique coverage of this area that is available at Notre Dame.

I am not familiar with the impetus of the current discussions, but would strongly urge you to maintain the theology requirement in the core curriculum. It's one of the things that brought me to Notre Dame and an integral part of its identity.

God bless and GO IRISH!

Jamie Towey (Arabic and Chinese)

I had Jordan Wales (doctoral candidate) as my freshman year Foundations teacher. He was an outstanding teacher and I thoroughly enjoyed the class. Not only did I enjoy the class itself, but I also learned a lot about my Catholic faith and how the Old Testament relates to the New Testament. 

Please, please don't take away a Theology requirement.