I believe that eliminating the theology requirement from undergraduate education is a mistake. For many people, this may be the only opportunity they get to be exposed to high quality religious instruction. It forms the conscious, nourishes the soul, and opens minds.
As an engineering undergraduate student, my experience studying theology was nothing short of enlightening. What started for me as a freshman seminar in Arabic literature blossomed into a beautiful opportunity. I studied Islam, Buddhism, and even had some brief exposure to ancient Chinese traditions. All of this has helped me to become a better Catholic. It’s really impossible to discover what one truly believes without a rigorous period of question and introspection. After all, isn’t this type of knowledge exchange, expanding of horizons, and interfaith dialog EXACTLY what University is all about? This process was nurtured and bolstered by the First Year of Studies Theology requirement. And looking at the strife and turmoil in our world today – much of which has connection to religious conflict – I can’t think of a line of study that is more in need.
Consider Mark Twain:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
We aren’t all blessed with the resources and ability to travel. But we can study.
I believe that eliminating the theology requirement from undergraduate education is a mistake. For many people, this may be the only opportunity they get to be exposed to high quality religious instruction. It forms the conscious, nourishes the soul, and opens minds.
ReplyDeleteAs an engineering undergraduate student, my experience studying theology was nothing short of enlightening. What started for me as a freshman seminar in Arabic literature blossomed into a beautiful opportunity. I studied Islam, Buddhism, and even had some brief exposure to ancient Chinese traditions. All of this has helped me to become a better Catholic. It’s really impossible to discover what one truly believes without a rigorous period of question and introspection. After all, isn’t this type of knowledge exchange, expanding of horizons, and interfaith dialog EXACTLY what University is all about? This process was nurtured and bolstered by the First Year of Studies Theology requirement. And looking at the strife and turmoil in our world today – much of which has connection to religious conflict – I can’t think of a line of study that is more in need.
Consider Mark Twain:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
We aren’t all blessed with the resources and ability to travel.
But we can study.
Please don’t eliminate the theology requirement.
Jacob Groshek, BSME 2004