The Benedictus Trust has been set up to found a Catholic university college in Britain, offering a traditional Liberal Arts programme of undergraduate study. Such courses can be found in the United States but as yet there is nothing similar in England. The Benedictus Trust is proposing to set up this new Catholic university college on the principles set out by Blessed John Henry Newman in The Idea of a University.
Nowadays in Britain, you can get degrees in all sorts of subjects. There doesn't seem to be any reason why it should not be possible to get one in the liberal arts. I do hope that this project succeeds.
10 comments:
@ Father Finigan
This proposed project for London interests me greatly, and as you know I am deeply involved in contemporary London's Sport, & Art development programmes.
Next year we have the Olympics in London, and the series of exhibitions and events at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/The-Stephen-Lawrence-Gallery/144510305602815 will have a sporting theme.
It would be good if I could become involved with the Benedictus Trust
project here in London at inception, as I believe I have a lot to offer as a local consultant with extensive City Challenge experience.
Our Lady of the Rosary ( http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/2011/05/visit-to-tomb-of-blessed-john-paul-ii.html ) pray for us!
PAPA VERO ORA PRO NOBIS!
This looks very intersting indeed. Oh to be an undergraduate there! Still, wouldn't have appreciated it when I was an undergrad.
Slightly flippant comment from me, but with a grain of truth:
It's a pity they couldn't buy Ushaw for this... ;-)
l have spoken with a fair number of people about the need for such an institution. The foundation year in itself is a good idea although it needs to be essentially catechetical and also spiritual- something to intellectually prepare catholics who have been accepted to quality institutions for the following year to undertake arts degrees. It took me two years of my BA degree at warwick to have hunted out and appropriated by myself the academic resources from the tradition to question (and challenge) the mainstream liberal philosophical presumptions in philosophy and political theory. Most catholics taking my degree, of the tiny few that practised, compartmentalised their religion from the academic enterprise and as a result they remained intellectually unconverted to the catholic faith.
Some have hoped Maryvale might evolve into a liberal arts undergrad college. Others have looked towards Opus Dei. Looking at the curriculum of the Opus independent schools, l think they would be the right people to be involved. It would need to be fiercely catholic though and not just opusy 'people of good will' it would need to be a machine to produce theologically and philosophically sound, committed Catholics. fair number of people about the need for such an institution. The foundation year in itself is a good idea although it needs to be essentially catechetical and also spiritual- something to intellectually prepare catholics who have been accepted to quality institutions for the following year to undertake arts degrees. It took me two years of my BA degree at warwick to have hunted out and appropriated by myself the academic resources from the tradition to question (and challenge) the mainstream liberal philosophical presumptions in philosophy and political theory. Most catholics taking my degree, of the tiny few that practised, compartmentalised their religion from the academic enterprise and as a result they remained intellectually unconverted to the catholic faith.
Some have hoped Maryvale might evolve into a liberal arts undergrad college. Others have looked towards Opus Dei. Looking at the curriculum of the Opus independent schools, l think they would be the right people to be involved. It would need to be fiercely catholic though and not just opusy 'people of good will' it would need to be a machine to produce theologically and philosophically sound, committed Catholics.
How may one apply?!
Marvellous - if it comes off, I do hope there'd be a facility for distance learning. If there is, count me in!
This sounds like a wonderful idea and one I would like to support.
One question springs to mind however.... who are the Benedictus Trust?
I know this is in its initial stages but for people to support it they need to know who is running it dont' you think?
This reminds me of an article Dorothy Sayers (she of Lord Peter Wimsey fame) wrote about 50 years ago discussing a liberal educations "The lost tools of learning". Here is the link
Lost Tools of Learning
I hope that the Benedictus constitution is solid enough to resist infiltration by secularists. So often we have seen Catholic Institutions hijacked by so called liberals and before you know it, they are indistinguishable from the secular institutions.
The International Theological Institute just outside Vienna offers a year's "Studium Generale" which is similar to the foundation year curriculum described on the Benedictus Trust website.
You can do a de facto liberal arts degree at the Scottish universities.
Perhaps they could offer something at Ushaw College to tie in with Durham University's Institute of Catholic Studies?
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