Charles Zola, director of Mount Saint Mary College's Catholic and Dominican Institute, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, and associate professor of Philosophy, presented "Faith and Reason in American Higher Education" on Monday, March 7 on campus.
An essential attribute of the Catholic intellectual tradition is the harmonious relationship between faith and reason, notes Zola. For more than a millennium, this principle guided the development of medieval universities. However, historic developments beginning in the 16th century gradually eroded this ethos, ultimately resulting in many people doubting the compatibility between faith and reason.
But, says Zola, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, Catholic higher education has reclaimed and transformed this relationship and the role it plays in academia.
"New energy and perspectives were infused in Catholic education in the mid-20th century, when John the 23rd called the Second Vatican Council in 1962," Zola explained.
The council produced a document specific to the topic of Christian education, known as the Declaration on Christian Education and published in October 1965.
The document stated: "All men of every race, condition, and age, since they enjoy the dignity of a human being, have an inalienable right to education, and that all Christians have a right to Christian education...Parents also have the primary and inalienable right to educate their children in schools of their choice, and society and the Church have a moral obligation in helping them do so."
The talk was part of the Mount's Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series. The goal of iROC is to provide a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with the college and local communities. Presentations include research proposals, initial data collection, and completed research projects.
All iROC talks are free and open to the public. Currently there are both in-person and virtual options. The next iROC talk, "Hybrid Teaching is Not a Limbo nor a Multiverse" by Victor Azuaje, professor of Hispanic Studies, will take place on Thursday, March 24 at 4 p.m. It will be presented at the Mount, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh. It will also be offered online at the same time. To register for the online version, visit www.msmc.edu/TeachingiROC