USF cancels master's program in theology

[bobzills]

Thanks for taking the time to write these helpfully detailed posts, RedSoxFan…it is good to get an “inside perspective” on this.

Peace,
A Fellow Red Sox Fan

People who really and truly are Red Sox fans and who want a masters or PhD in theology from a Jesuit instution should consider Boston college.

 

[Havard]

Hey Bob,

Harvard was talking about an Ethics teacher. Not a member of the Theology department.

Harvard if I am wrong let me know who it was. As far as I know we don’t even have what I would call a feminist theologian professor in the program.

Once again. The theology department is not compromised of what others in the Univeristy do or say.

~RSF

I wish I could remember her name. The sad thing is that she doesn’t just teach at USF, I think she has taught at or still teaches at Dominican in San Rafael and possibly Notre Dame de Namur. I believe she is one of those adjunct professors who goes between institutions, I could be wrong. But you are correct in that she is an ethics professor, which may be a different department than theology at USF.

 

[Havard]

Okay, I found a letter that I wrote to Vicki Evans, the Respect for Life Coordinator for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, not long after the “Theology by the Glass.” Here are the relevant portions of my letter (with the name of the professor in question omitted):

---

, who has taught religion, theology and ethics at many Catholic schools in the area (USF, Dominican University, Notre Dame de Namur), appeared to support Speaker Pelosi, Senator Biden, and other Catholics who “choose to follow their conscience over Church teaching.” colored these people as “free thinkers”, and although she admitted the Church “has gotten better”, she warned against Church “indoctrination” and discouragement of free thought. She cited recent “examples”, such the excommunication of the Danube Seven (the women ordained as priests in the Danube River in 2002.) As the talk became a discussion, virtually every audience member who gave (name removed by moderator)ut voiced their agreement and support for these “free thinkers.”

My RCIA friend is new to these intra-church conflicts, and I so I spent time afterward, explaining the other side of the story. I know that moral relativism is one of the greatest dangers in our culture, but I simply cannot believe that someone with credentials as , who was the Theology Dept. Chair at Notre Dame Belmont, and who taught at many other prestigious Catholic Universities would be one of those who advocate it. I was also greatly disheartened that the vocal majority of those at the event supported this view. My RCIA friend is an intelligent young woman who understands that these people do not necessarily speak for the Church, but not every inquirer will be able
to see this.

The worst thing about this experience, however, is that now I am reluctant to take my friend to such Catholic forums, as I can’t even count on the orthodoxy of the persons involved.​

I’m not certain of the forum rules on discussing the name of the professor in question. I’m not out to ruin her reputation, but then again, I’m sure she’s quite pleased with her own views, so I doubt she’d find shame in being attributed with them.

 

[RedSoxFan]

People who really and truly are Red Sox fans and who want a masters or PhD in theology from a Jesuit instution should consider Boston college.

What is it with you and BC? You have this weird Crush on Boston College.

Anyways USF sent one of thier best Jesuit Theologians this year to BC. James Bretzke. I’m not sure who’s call it was but he was a Don for a long time.

~RSF

 

[RedSoxFan]

People have been writing letters for years and still we see them showing a play which advocates that a young girl attain her personal salvation by engaging in lesbian relations with an older woman.

I don’t think that we as Catholics have been loud enough in voicing our outrage over our Universities loosing thier identity.

Look out though. People will hear us now.

~RSF

 

[RedSoxFan]

Okay, I found a letter that I wrote to Vicki Evans, the Respect for Life Coordinator for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, not long after the “Theology by the Glass.” Here are the relevant portions of my letter (with the name of the professor in question omitted):

---

, who has taught religion, theology and ethics at many Catholic schools in the area (USF, Dominican University, Notre Dame de Namur), appeared to support Speaker Pelosi, Senator Biden, and other Catholics who “choose to follow their conscience over Church teaching.” colored these people as “free thinkers”, and although she admitted the Church “has gotten better”, she warned against Church “indoctrination” and discouragement of free thought. She cited recent “examples”, such the excommunication of the Danube Seven (the women ordained as priests in the Danube River in 2002.) As the talk became a discussion, virtually every audience member who gave (name removed by moderator)ut voiced their agreement and support for these “free thinkers.”

My RCIA friend is new to these intra-church conflicts, and I so I spent time afterward, explaining the other side of the story. I know that moral relativism is one of the greatest dangers in our culture, but I simply cannot believe that someone with credentials as , who was the Theology Dept. Chair at Notre Dame Belmont, and who taught at many other prestigious Catholic Universities would be one of those who advocate it. I was also greatly disheartened that the vocal majority of those at the event supported this view. My RCIA friend is an intelligent young woman who understands that these people do not necessarily speak for the Church, but not every inquirer will be able
to see this.

The worst thing about this experience, however, is that now I am reluctant to take my friend to such Catholic forums, as I can’t even count on the orthodoxy of the persons involved.​

I’m not certain of the forum rules on discussing the name of the professor in question. I’m not out to ruin her reputation, but then again, I’m sure she’s quite pleased with her own views, so I doubt she’d find shame in being attributed with them.

Havard,

Thanks for replying. It sounds like she is not at USF currently. Perhaps you could PM me the name so I could be sure.

I can tell you all this for sure. This is a teacher who would dread a student like me in her class. I have very little trouble calling out what I see to be a violation between Orthodoxy and Orthopraxis.

In a class earlier this semester I was probably pretty close to getting lynched for comparing Catholic Feminist theology to intellectual facism. It got tense though I stood by my guns on this one. I also elaborated my position as did others in the class. Eventaully my position was understood and accepted by others. They might have not agreed with me, but it was accepted as being a valid position. More impressive was that this was between the classmates and the instructor was not commenting or even made his opinion known. He was just thrilled to have such great conversatiion stem from his students.

Honestly, while it might be nice to attend a school where everyone was as conservative as I was, I feel now that I would be missing out. Simply by having opposing view points to my own I am learning the other arguments and I am making my view points stronger. Not only that, but our point of view is being articulated. All of this is making me a better theologian because I can now converse with many other viewpoints that I would never even tried to talk to before. Why is this important?

Because if we are ever to convert peope to Christ we are going to need people who can relate enough to those with whom we disagree. San Francisco is full of people I personally disagree with, but I am not ready to consider San Francisco to be a loss for Christianity. Sorry, but I am not. Therefore, USF Theology is vital to the region and it’s eventual reconversion to Christ.

~RSF

 

[RedSoxFan]

Oh I almost forgot. The american Papist also weighed in on this issue:

americanpapist.com/blog.html

And Catholic.org also has a new USF article. I weep for my University.

www.catholic.org

~RSF

 

[RedSoxWife]

People have been writing letters for years and still we see them showing a play which advocates that a young girl attain her personal salvation by engaging in lesbian relations with an older woman.

Oh, so clearly now, when Catholics across the country have begun to speak out against the Un-Catholic actions of Catholic Universities, it is the time to give up and say, “do whatever you want, it doesn’t matter, we tried.” ?

I don’t believe anyone claimed at any point that it was going to be easy to live by the teachings of the Church, or to change institutions that are misrepresenting Catholicism, but surely it must be done. We can’t just give up because “hey we tried a while but it didn’t work.”

I very clearly remember the Vagina Monologues being put on at my own Catholic alma mater across the bay from USF, because my college roommate was in it junior and senior years and was constantly practicing her lines. It is very sad that so many colleges have decided to put aside their Catholic faith in order to attempt to be culturally relevant.

On the other hand I would also say that if I hadn’t gone to Saint Mary’s and spoken numerous times with one of the priests that said mass there while I was doing my job lifeguarding at the school’s pool, I probably wouldn’t have converted from Southern Baptist to Catholic. I’d say that I’m proof that the people who are Catholic at Catholic Universities make a difference.