Brian Shappell (Science, MBA)

Notre Dame's New Coke?

The recent passing of Donald Keough, the chair emeritus of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees, reminded me of a valuable lesson he had learned during the tenure of his presidency at Coca-Cola: Be very careful about changing the formula of an iconic brand.  I see a parallel to the current discussion about changing one of the key constituents of our core curriculum, the requirement of two theology courses.

The Notre Dame brand is one of the most valuable brands in higher education.  The Notre Dame brand includes a legendary football team, superior academics, and a dedication to having all who are involved with the University feel like they are part of a family.  But many of the other top 20 universities can, and will, lay claim to the some of the same characteristics for their brand.  We are not unique in these areas.

Where we distinguish ourselves from other top universities is that we are Catholic and that the Catholic faith informs the culture of the University.  Notre Dame’s Catholic character is the one part of our ‘formula’ that the other top 20 universities cannot lay claim to.  Many of the graduates of the University have placed significant value on the lessons taught and learned in the two required theology courses as a foundation of the Catholic character of the University.  The suggestion to alter this part of our formula in the hopes of providing a better ’product’  for future consumers is not a risk we should take lightly.  In fact, I believe it is a risk we should not take at all.  

Jessica Peek (Anthropology)

One of the major draws of attending the University of Notre Dame was its commitment to a Catholic identity and the intellectual development of the heart, as well as the mind. I had always been interested in the study of theology, but I initially thought it would remain a personal and private pursuit in my life. God had other plans however. 

I took my Foundations course during the second semester of my freshmen year and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed being able to grapple with questions of my faith in class discussions and in the papers I was writing for the class. My instructor, Jim Lee, was a graduate student, who was approachable and open to talking about the class as well as any question I might have about Catholicism. 

Even though I loved the course, having entered as an anthropology major, I actively threw myself into these courses for the next year. I didn’t get around to taking my second theology class until the fall semester of my junior year. Looking at the classes available I realized I was interested in so many areas of theology that I took two theology classes that semester. I am so blest to have had the audacity to tackle a course called “God,” taught by one of the few professors who could actually get away with teaching a class of that title and come close to covering that material. Fr. Brian Daley opened my eyes to major theologians such as Gregory of Nazianzus, Bonaventure, von Balthasar, and C.S. Lewis. I devoured these books and wanted more. I joked about going to do my homework for "God." 

My other course that semester was equally fascinating. Co-taught by Candida Moss and Brad Gregory, “Dying to Live Forever: Martyrs” showed me that theology could be such fun to study, even about a topic as grim as death. It was clear that these professors believed what they taught, that despite all the tragic stories of gruesome deaths, the martyrs died knowing that they would be rewarded with eternal life. This class would have been so different if it had been taught in a religious studies department, where the personal convictions of the instructors would not play out as clearly. I wanted to hear more from these professors of faith, from people who believed what they taught and taught what they believed. And so I was converted to the theology major.

Theology, as "faith seeking understanding,” was an important component of Notre Dame’s curriculum in my academic career and in my personal life. I would not have looked at those theology course listings if it had not been for the theology requirements, and I may not have realized that God was calling me to a life of service for the church. 

I recently was invited to speak on a panel about “Careers in Theology” at a local Catholic university. Here I am, called to speak to college students about the importance of studying theology. This is a topic I would not be qualified to speak on or as passionate about if it had not been for the Notre Dame theology requirements influencing my vocation. I hope future Domers will be given the opportunity to be nudged by God to see how God is calling them to live a life of faith, whether that means a theology major or not.

Rosabelle Conover (Science Pre-Professional, Peace Studies, and Theology)

I graduated Notre Dame in class of 2012, with a Science Preprofessional major and two minors--one in Theology and the other in International Peace Studies.  I declared theology as a minor specifically because of Notre Dame's two theology requirements, and since then it has played a huge role in shaping my vision of medicine as comprehensive healing of individuals and failed structures.  I'm currently pursuing this vision through a dual masters in Divinity and Nursing at Yale University.  Without being required to take theology at ND, I never would have pursued this passion.  This is part of what makes Notre Dame such a special place!

Kathleen Stanley (Chemical Engineering)

When I heard that the ND theology requirements were possibly going to be eliminated, I had to write in favor of keeping them on the board. While, or indeed because, theology is certainly not the flavor du jour of today's college students, it is in fact more valuable than ever before. 

I am a chemical engineering 2011 grad but value those theology classes as a cornerstone of my ND education. The Catholic church has been a forceful and formidable institution for over 2,000 years - a simple fact that students do not fully appreciate until they take these theology classes. Regardless of the facts that many global conflicts have ties to religion and that Judaism, Christianity and Islam all share the same roots, an awareness of Church history is crucial to understanding the world as it is today. The theology requirements make sure that each Notre Dame graduate takes that understanding out into the world. 

In addition, it allows a specialization into topics not covered in a secular university. My favorite class was on the Immaculate Conception, taught by Sister Ann, a woman so passionate about this that she fought for (and was granted) an entire course with which to teach and inspire us with the story of Bernadette of Lourdes. It also provoked countless intellectual theological conversations in the dorms, in class and at home. 

Please keep the theology requirements - they are part of what make the university so unique, and keep us well-informed to combat the less-than-accurate rhetoric often spouted about Catholics. Nowhere else but Notre Dame! 

Molly Daily (Political Science and Spanish)

My experience with theology at Notre Dame is quite typical. It isn't extraordinary, and it doesn't involve any major revelations or moments that turned my life around. That is precisely why it needs to be shared--because my story is the story of so many of my friends and my fellow students.

I grew up going to public school and honestly never learned much about my faith. In attending parish religious classes, I learned that God loved me and that I should pray every day. I learned that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that I should be a good person and I'd get into heaven. In short, I had no idea what it meant to be a Catholic, even though I thought I was doing a pretty good job. If theology courses weren't required at Notre Dame, I may have considered taking one or two. I probably would have chosen the easiest sounding course, or I would have put off taking a class for a few years because I didn't think there was anything I didn't already know about being a Catholic. After all, I was generally nice to people and I went to mass most weekends.

My first theology class was, in short, awful. It was hard. It was convoluted. Most of the time, it didn't make sense. I didn't like that it was taught by a graduate student and that I had no say in what kind of introductory course I would be taught. I didn't like that my friends had interesting, intellectual classes that taught them about what faith was like today. But still, I learned. I grew in my faith. For the first time, I put together the realization that faith is more than feelings and high ideas. I learned that theology means "faith seeking understanding," and I learned that understanding is vital to my faith. I discovered the historical relevance of scripture and I paid better attention to that history when I heard the readings in mass. I still did not understand the liturgy too well, and my limited knowledge of the faith led to quite a few misconceptions in my mind. But I was on the right track. I had learned the first few essential glimpses of the faith: that I had no idea what I was doing, that this was actually going to take some work, and that theology is not a flimsy lighthearted talk about ambiguous love, but a discipline just as vital and as difficult as my science courses.

The next semester I took a class named Called to Holiness (also taught by a graduate student). In this course, I learned what it meant to be a Catholic. I learned that I had a vocation, and that didn't mean that I had to be a nun or that my job was my vocation. I learned that I am meant to be a saint, and I learned what it means to be a saint. I was encouraged for the first time in my life to try out silent prayer. I studied the scriptures with a keen eye for detail, and I heard the words "Catechism of the Catholic Church" for the first (but certainly not the last) time. This course was so brilliant and so helpful to me as a Catholic that I decided to minor in Theology so that I could continue to learn about my faith. These courses set me on a path without which I don't know where I would be today. My faith today is a product of my theology courses. I am at a place--intellectually, spiritually, and otherwise--that I could not be without these courses.They taught me the truth of my faith. I am eternally grateful that I was required to take those two courses.

The notion of getting rid of theology courses or having non-theology scholars teach principles of theology in their courses is absurd. Theology is an art. It is an intellectual, vigorous way of life. It isn't simply something that can be condensed into a humanities course or mentioned in the context of a science class. 

Theology is a discipline. Even my poorly taught, difficult theology class was better than not taking any courses at all. These requirements were far from a burden. They have shaped my life. They gave me a better understanding of my own faith. They inspired me to share my faith with others in a way that actually taught them truth, rather than making things up. They gave my non-Catholic friends the vocabulary with which to discuss the faith. They taught me about other faiths and how I can interact with them. 

Theology is a vital study in any University, but it is absolutely essential to the mission of Notre Dame. My dear friends, how can we say we are educating the mind and the heart if we don't help students understand their heart's deepest desire? How can we remain a Catholic university if we do not adhere to this simple principle of teaching Catholic faith? Theology requirements do, in my opinion, need to be changed. They need to be strengthened, so messes like my first theology course don't happen. First or introductory theology courses should be strengthened and streamlined, so that each student has the same opportunity to understand his or her faith. Courses should be intellectually vigorous but sensitive to the needs of freshmen. Graduate students must be better supported and guided in their teachings of freshmen by our great professors. Courses that embrace diversity and teach the various aspects of the faith in respect to other faiths should be expanded and encouraged.

Notre Dame has so much to offer its students. The theology department has arguably the most to offer. It has brilliant minds--from liturgical theologians like Professor Tim O'Malley to great leaders in the field like Professor John Cavadini. Through these brilliant minds, though, the department offers something no other department can--the ability to change one's heart. When a freshman enters DeBartolo Hall, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to embrace her, to show her what she has been longing to hear her whole life. If we want to be taken seriously as a Catholic university in the twenty first century, she needs us to take her by the hand and guide her into a theology course. 

Please do not deny others the privilege that I received as a freshman. Require at least two theology courses for all majors. Teach us to pray, to love, and to live.

Max Wipson (Glynn Honors Program)

I didn't expect to be on this side, seeing as I'm not a very religious person, like at all, but I really hope Notre Dame doesn't drop the theology requirement. 

Though I didn't necessarily agree with or believe in everything that was taught in my theology classes, I'm glad I took them. I learned a lot more about religion (particularly Catholicism but it's applicable to other things) than I had in my 18 years prior to coming to Notre Dame and at the very least I can now give an informed opinion when people claim to use their faith to justify stubbornness or bigotry, and when others critical of religion raise an unfair or inaccurate point. 

I had a great professor, Dr. Francesca Murphy, for both of my classes and I got to do fun creative projects like my Star Wars illustrated Book of Mark from the first class and my movie about Paul in modern times from the second. I was able to have a class with my Glynn friends sophomore year, after we dispersed into our majors, and I got to have a class with Meg the next year even though she was bio and I was poli sci, right when we were becoming closer friends and, eventually, a couple. I learned about monks and popes and ecumenical councils, what Catholic people really believe, and even a little bit of architecture. 

Believe me, if these classes were just Sunday school, I wouldn't be arguing for them, but they integrate other disciplines like history and philosophy, just as my chosen major did, and I really do think they're an essential part of the Notre Dame experience. So, yeah, ‪#‎loveTHEOnotredame

Carmen Casillas (History and Medieval Studies)

I'm a senior majoring in History and Medieval Studies. I'm in the Chorale, I love living in PE (Pyros forever!!), and I am a defender of the North (Dining Hall, that is). I'm your average Notre Dame student: over-involved, over-stressed, and under-slept. I also happen to be Protestant. 

Denominationally speaking, I was raised United Methodist, but that's a little more fluid these days. I also think that the Theology requirement is a necessary component to keeping the Catholic identity of Our Lady's University.

Why, you might ask, is a Protestant student writing to defend the one piece of the University's curriculum that could alienate her even further from her peers? Why would a student of history--who has taken courses on the history of the Catholic Church--believe that theology shouldn't be replaced by a Catholic Studies or history of the Church course? Here's the short list of reasons:

Reason 1: We have more on which we agree than disagree, and I did not know that coming in to Notre Dame. I was staunchly on the "ain't nobody got time for that" train of understanding Catholicism and on talking to Catholic students about my own faith. I couldn't fathom how what I saw as such insurmountable differences--transubstantiation, the veneration of Mary, the Saints--could be bridged without incurring a wrathful dialogue. As much as my Foundations course frustrated me due to its intensity, it gave me the opportunity to encounter the Catholic tradition from the inside, and realize that 1500 years of unity doesn't just disappear. My Catholic--and non-Catholic--peers and I were able to honestly encounter the Bible, learn about how tradition fits in to every faith, and come to greater understanding of God and of each other.

Reason 2: We are a Catholic University. I knew this when I applied, and so does every other student. We know when we choose to attend Our Lady's University that we are going to encounter the Catholic faith, and that it is a vital aspect of the university as a whole. Theology is a discipline that distinguishes Notre Dame as the premiere Catholic university it claims to be. Without Theology, we might as well pack up and join the Ivy Leagues. I chose to come to Notre Dame because of its Catholic identity. Because, even as a Protestant, I would be able to look upon the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Mary atop the Dome, and the doors of my dorm chapel every day and be reminded of the presence of God that surrounds us. I wanted to grow in my faith, and that is what coming to a truly Catholic university, where I can encounter young theologians, allows me to do.

Reason 3: The Second Theo. I had some great moments in my Foundations course, but I did not understand Theology until I took "Vision Theo" or, "The Christian Experience: Vocation and the Theological Imagination" with Dr. Tim O'Malley. I could wax poetic about the brilliance of my professor for days--and I'm sure he wouldn't mind--but what he and his course did for me was open my eyes to the true nature of theology as a discipline, and how necessary it is for young people today. I read works by de Lubac, St. Augustine, Flannery O'Connor, and C.S. Lewis among others. I was challenged on a daily basis about what it meant to be a Christian, what it meant to be called to unity, what it meant to be a martyr, what it meant to face death. My peers and I grappled with the "big questions" and came up empty, only to go back to the sources, read more, ask more questions, and come to revelation.

What theology at Notre Dame does is gift you with a combination of academic knowledge and spiritual revelation that no history of the Papacy, course on the Crusades, or course looking from the outside in can give you. Learning about the controversy surrounding leavened vs. unleavened bread to be used in the Eucharist cannot replace learning about the unity to which the Church is called in partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ. Theology at Notre Dame cannot be replaced because it is what allows students to question themselves and encounter God openly, honestly, and without judgment. I was lucky to be given that opportunity, and I know that I would never have been able to do so in a course that didn't begin where theology begins: with a little bit of faith.

Fr. Ted Hesburgh, C.S.C. (University President, 1952-1987)

We do mean to be a great university and a great Catholic university. We are open to all the great questions of our times. We are confident enough, of ourselves and our students, to look at a wide variety of possible answers and to be assured that new light will be brought to bear upon these problems as we discuss them in a Christian context. 

We have no problem with other universities choosing to do their discussing in what might well be a more restrictive context, more secular, less religious, more purely or exclusively scientific and technological. So be it. But we need not be defensive in placing the same discussion in a different context, more universal (which is the meaning of catholic), more Christian, more moral, more spiritual, more open to God, but no less intellectual. We do what we do freely, and in the conviction that the times, and especially the future, will need such an approach.

(“And they called it the University of Notre Dame du Lac,” 1977)

And...

Someone asked me recently: "What is the great problem for the Catholic university in our modem pluralistic society?" I was obliged to answer that the modernCatholic university faces a dual problem. First, because everything in a pluralistic society tends to become homogenized, the Catholic university has the temptation to become like all other universities, with theology and philosophy attached to the academic body like a kind of vermiform appendix, a vestigial remnant, neither useful nor decorative, a relic of the past. If this happens, the Catholic university may indeed become a great university, but it will not be a Catholic university.

The second problem involves understanding that while our society is called religiously pluralistic, it is in fact, and more realistically, secularistic—with theology and philosophy relegated to a position of neglect or, worse, irrelevance. Against this strong tide, the Catholic university must demonstrate that all the human problems which it studies are at base philosophical and theological, since they relate ultimately to the nature and destiny of man. The Catholic university must strive mightily to understand the philosophical and theological dimensions of the modern problems that face man today, and once these dimensions are understood, it must show the relevance of the philosophical and theological approach if adequate solutions are to be found for these problems.

(America Magazine, 1962; republished online February 27, 2015)

Jason Kippenbrock (Biological Sciences, Med Student)

I am writing this letter in support of the undergraduate theology classes as part of the core curriculum, since I have heard that Notre Dame is considering eliminating one or both of the required courses.  This potential revision saddens me.  The two required theology courses that I took during my freshman and sophomore years have left a lasting impact on me, both academically and spiritually, and I do not want future undergraduates to miss out on this crucial part of the Notre Dame education.

Before coming to Notre Dame, I thought that I knew everything that I ever needed to know about being Catholic. My bloated confidence in my comprehension of Christianity was promptly deflated during the Foundations of Theology course I took in the fall of my freshman year. I realized that there was so much about my faith that I did not understand, or that I had taken for granted. The Foundations course challenged me and my faith, and it forced me to appreciate that theology, as a distinct academic discipline, is valuable. If nothing else, the Foundations course forced me to actually open up the Bible and read it. Honestly, without the Foundations course, I probably would have graduated from Notre Dame without even a basic understanding of how to read Scripture.

My second required theology course was also formative. We spent a majority of time each class in discussion, where each of us was able to express our own understanding of the theology topic on hand. The viewpoints held amongst my classmates were diverse, and it was amazing to be able to discuss our religious differences articulately and respectfully. Through it all, our professor was there to teach us how the Church has approached each issue and why. Once again, without my second required theology course, I probably would have graduated from Notre Dame without the capacity to articulately and respectfully share my Catholic faith with others.

I studied biological sciences at Notre Dame, and I am currently a first year medical student. I am in the throes of learning cardiovascular physiology, and I really do not have time to write a letter to the Provost of Notre Dame about changes to the core curriculum which will have no direct impact on my life. But I am writing this letter anyway. I am sacrificing my study time because I feel strongly that the theology requirements are an essential part the undergraduate education. When I think back on my time at Notre Dame, I do not think about the pathways I memorized for organic chemistry or the multitude of cell signaling molecules I encountered in my cell biology course. What I do remember is falling in love with theology, because through my theology classes (which turned into a second major), I became convinced that I wanted to be a physician. Studying theology helped me understand what it means to serve others out of love, not just obligation, in imitation of the Divine Physician. Studying theology is the reason that my future patients will have a truly compassionate doctor, and not someone who is just working for a paycheck.

I love Notre Dame dearly. I want to see her graduates succeed in every aspect of life and to be a great force for good in this country and the whole world. Please do not deprive her students of the gift of theology. Please do not deprive her students of the classes that will help to give meaning to their lives. Please do not attempt to educate the mind at the expense of the heart. If we do remove theology from the core of the curriculum, I fear that Notre Dame may lose its heart as well.

Patrick Greenwood ('73, Law and Accounting)

My senior year, while trying to find just the right course to complete my Theology requirement, I happened upon Theology 250. I knew nothing of C.S. Lewis. In the 40-plus years since I explored Lewis with the guidance of Fr. Robert J. Nogosek, I feel that experience has had a profound effect on my thinking and relationships with God and others. I have gifted copies of A Grief Observed to my grieving friends, but perhaps my favorite eye-opener was and is The Screwtape Letters. Of course these are but two small examples of the rich body of Lewis' writings which are, in turn, but a microcosm of theological studies at Notre Dame. There's something for everyone here! I'm very grateful I had this opportunity.

Raquel Falk (Program of Liberal Studies)

As a sophomore at Notre Dame, I took a theology course that drastically changed the trajectory of my life. Professor Michael Baxter, in his class "Catholic Radicalism," opened my eyes to the lives of Peter Maurin, Dorothy Day, and others who helped shape the Catholic Worker movement. I remember feeling like I had found, for the first time, a model of faithful, lay Catholicism that was both terrifying and invigorating. 

The class "afflicted the comfortable," namely, me, and illustrated examples of radical responses to consumerism, militarization, racism, and class division. After taking the course and spending time at the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker in South Bend throughout my time as an undergraduate, I felt moved to move into the Catholic Worker upon graduation. 

Without this course, Professor Baxter, and my classmates, I am not sure I would have fallen so in love with the Catholic Worker movement. At the Catholic Worker, I feel I am most free to attempt to live the Gospel with joy, and I am grateful for the Notre Dame theology course that helped me find my way here.

Nicholas Lezynski (Business and Theology)

I am a 2011 graduate of Notre Dame with a Business degree and Theology minor.  I want to reinforce how instrumental the theology courses at Notre Dame were in the development of my education, but most importantly, my faith.  Notre Dame is the premier Catholic institution in the world and therefore, should be a beacon of the study and discussion of Theology, especially among the amazing faculty and young bright minds that Notre Dame brings together.  

As a business major, I was exposed to many of the hard number, scientific, black and white courses that come along with my main pursuit of study.  However, it was my introductory Theology courses in my freshman and sophomore years that inspired me to pursue a minor in Theology.  I took a wide variety of courses within the Major, from World Religions to The New Testament Study of Jesus Christ to Axial Religions.  Not only did my knowledge of other religions increase and grow, which is paramount in our ever-changing world today, but my only Catholic faith strengthened through my understanding of its roots, practices and readings.  I would venture to say the same for virtually all of my classmates, some being Catholic, some not.  

How can we even consider letting a Notre Dame go through 4 years without giving a taste of Theology to them?  Our mission statement as a university would be called into question with the elimination of Theology as a requirement.

Kathy Krauss Zerda ('77, Biology/Microbiology)

My husband (Class of '75) and I (Class of '77) just heard today about the ongoing review of the curriculum for undergraduates.  Naturally, I had to investigate.  From my understanding, a lot of ideas are being discussed, and one of them is to reconsider the requirement for two theology and two philosophy courses in the curriculum.  I don't know if this is a serious consideration, or simply a discussion point being tossed about.  In either case, I would like to express my thoughts.

When I was at ND, I was a Biology/Microbiology major.  Science and math courses taught me discreet facts that were accepted, for the most part, as truth.  My experience with my required theology and philosophy courses was that they challenged me to ponder what I and others believe about this world and the world beyond.  

There are a lot of my college courses that I don't remember, but I do remember those theology and philosophy courses.  They taught me how to think about many things, including my view of God, how our Catholic traditions differs from other Christian traditions (one of my theology courses was team-taught by a Catholic priest and an Anglican priest) and also man's responsibility for the world we live in.  I read a number of excellent books, some of which I still have today.  Needless to say, I would not have chosen to read those books on my own, yet they made a lasting and positive impression on me.  If I consider how my education might have differed if I had been able to opt out of the hard work and discipline of thinking about difficult issues (something that my 18-22 year old self might have done), I can only conclude that my Notre Dame education would have been incomplete.  

My husband and I sent our eldest son to Notre Dame.  My Notre Dame roommates sent their children to Notre Dame.  Why do you think we did that?  

There are many universities to choose from, and most of them are significantly less expensive and closer to home than Notre Dame.  We sent our sons and daughters so they would benefit from the broadening that shaped us and would allow our young people to develop fully as thoughtful, faith-filled, productive and contributing adults.  There was no other reason, because many universities offer high quality major-specific courses.  Notre Dame provides that extra formation that is not required elsewhere.  As you consider all the options for curricular revisions (which is a process I greatly respect -- I recently retired as a university professor myself) please don't diminish what sets Our Lady's university apart from all the rest.

Geoffrey Mooney (Math, Education)

I came to Notre Dame in the fall of 2005 as a math major having had attended Catholic schools since kindergarten. I loved math, but I also grew up with religion as an integral part of the curriculum each year. During high school I developed a different kind of relationship with theology that as a grade school student I did not fully understand. Through classes devoted to the sacraments, morality, Scripture, and social justice, over time I sensed a truly personal connection to the subject matter that I did not find in quite the same way in, say, history or foreign language or even math. I learned much in high school theology from excellent teachers, but the most important lessons I learned in these classes were about personal identity, relationships with others, my engagement with the Church and society, and God's unfailing love and forgiveness.

That first fall semester at Notre Dame included my initial introduction to theology at the university, and how quickly I felt at home in that course! I was exploring my Catholic faith in an academic setting with readings from theologians spanning the history of the Church, but at the same time I was engaging rich questions about identity in Christ, identity in the Church, and identity in the world. As the end of the semester drew nearer, I could not imagine going into the spring semester without a theology class. I loved math, but I knew something would be absent from my Notre Dame experience if I did not take advantage of the theology offerings here. I knew something would be absent too from my own spiritual journey if I did not continue in theology. The solution was obvious. I added a second major in theology midway through freshman year.

That decision put my life on such a different trajectory that I never would have imagined while still in high school. Studying theology at Notre Dame broadened my horizons about the Church around the world and the Church throughout the ages. I gained a more profound appreciation of the sacramental life of the Church. I discovered a passion for service and ministry to use the gifts God has given me to give back to those most in need. With each passing semester, I felt a growing call to be the hands, the face, the love of Jesus Christ I studied so much in my course work. Theology came alive for me in the interactions I had with others on campus and the experiences I had of prayer, liturgy, and service.

Following graduation in 2009 with my peculiar degree combination of math and theology, I joined the Alliance for Catholic Education program as a high school teacher in Florida, teaching none other than geometry, morality, and Scripture in my first year. The call to serve was clear. My theology classes at Notre Dame provided the perfect invitation and preparation to share my faith and love of the Body of Christ with a brand new audience of fifteen- and sixteen-year-olds. Learning about my students and fellow teachers, their faith backgrounds, and their own experiences of Church gave increased strength and encouragement to my own spiritual journey.

I spent a total of five years in the classroom, shifting between multiple math and religion courses. I may have never discovered that school and met such incredible families and colleagues without that inner desire I developed as a freshman to declare theology as a major. That decision still resonates today as I now find myself back at Notre Dame as a postulant with the Congregation of Holy Cross, living at Moreau Seminary, and preparing to petition to the Holy Cross Novitiate. That call to know God, love God, and serve God about which I wrote in journals throughout high school theology and read in writings of saints, mystics, and faithful servants of the Church while at Notre Dame is truly alive in my heart in a new and wonderful way after my time as an undergraduate and as an educator. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I hope to continue my study of theology in the future at Our Lady's University.

And my high school calculus teacher told me I should be an actuary. #loveTHEOnotredame

'09, '11

Jessie Kusina (Psychology and Gender Studies)

Notre Dame's identity and practices as a Catholic institution have profoundly shaped who I am as a person and the passions I pursue. While at Notre Dame I studied psychology and gender studies, yet theology shaped the lens through which I approached these two disciplines.

For instance, I pursued psychology because I want to do something meaningful with my career and help others lead healthy and joy-filled lives. This is because I recognize the inherent dignity in every human being, a belief grounded in the teaching that we are all created in God's image. Some people may never be exposed to such teachings if they do not ever have a theology course. Some people will never take a theology course if they are not required to do so.

The mission of Notre Dame is to shape the world's leaders who give themselves in service to society to bring about meaningful change. Theological thought is at the core of this mission, despite our major our career path.

To take away the theology requirement would erode the very foundation upon which Notre Dame builds its mission. This would be a great disservice to the world of which we are all a part, a world we are all called to serve during our time at Notre Dame and especially once we graduate.

Eddie Guilbeau (Mechanical Engineer; Letter to Provost)

I earned my bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Notre Dame in 2011. Since 2012, I have been employed by [an industry leader] in heavy industrial manufacturing management. 

Even as a technical expert in an industrial setting, I still thumb through my notes on theodicy from Fr. Heintz's Foundations of Theology class when I am confronted by ugly truths of the human condition. 

I skim through my notes on Rerum Novarum from my theology and human rights class when I get up in arms about the injustices of our modern economy. 

The topics covered in theology are relevant, no matter one's religious background or professional path. Notre Dame's requirements for a broad liberal arts curriculum produce students who are more well-rounded and more humane in the workplace. This is a competitive advantage in my mind. Notre Dame alumni I have worked with are every bit as technically proficient as alumni of Georgia Tech, MIT, University of Michigan, Penn State, and Texas A&M. Notre Dame alumni are more effective in relating and building trust with their coworkers. I credit Notre Dame's core requirements for that difference. 

I am not aware of many universities that have similar requirements. In truth, there are many great universities and great engineering programs across the country and across the world. Notre Dame's catholic identity and commitment to a broad liberal arts curriculum, including theology, are what make our institution unique among those great universities. I do hope you will continue to support what makes Notre Dame special.

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.