What is everyone's thoughts on the Catholic Theological Union?

[tpw]

Again - I don’t know what courses your DRE took at CTU. CTU is fundamentally for missionaries. Missionaries work in a variety of environments where other cultural and religious traditions may be predominant. It may be helpful to understand what Shiva chant is for someone who is ministering in an environment largely Hindu. So no it doesn’'t seem absurd at all.

Re: orthodoxy and honest…it’s quite orthodox and honest. There are some very strange ideas about "miracles in the scriptures our there. A closer look at the miraculous may in fact lead one to recognize the miraculous all about us each day - it’s grace yielding it’s quiet and sacred pop! all about us.

Check out a biblical commentary like the New Jerome BIblical Commentary…Also keep in mind biblical studies continue to evolve at a very rapid pace. As new archaelogical discoveries are made, as new insights from the natural and human sciences continue to evolve the role of biblical scholars continues to unfold. It’s a dynamic processs…

I don’t know what the current tuition rates are. I do know they’ve very generously provided scholarship assistance for many lay students. They will also probably check your academic background for evidence of studies in philosophy, etc. On second thought that may not be true depending on what degree program you express interest in.

It’s a very good place to study and learn. What inevitably happens - and this is what takes place in seminaries as well - as many distortions or misconceptions one may hold about his/her religious beliefs will be challenged. The purpose of the process is to help move one from an “external faith” to a more deeply interiorized faith. It’s challenging but does very, very good things in the process…

 

[Tsuwano]

Again - I don’t know what courses your DRE took at CTU. CTU is fundamentally for missionaries. Missionaries work in a variety of environments where other cultural and religious traditions may be predominant. It may be helpful to understand what Shiva chant is for someone who is ministering in an environment largely Hindu. So no it doesn’'t seem absurd at all.

Re: orthodoxy and honest…it’s quite orthodox and honest. There are some very strange ideas about "miracles in the scriptures our there. A closer look at the miraculous may in fact lead one to recognize the miraculous all about us each day - it’s grace yielding it’s quiet and sacred pop! all about us.

Check out a biblical commentary like the New Jerome BIblical Commentary…Also keep in mind biblical studies continue to evolve at a very rapid pace. As new archaelogical discoveries are made, as new insights from the natural and human sciences continue to evolve the role of biblical scholars continues to unfold. It’s a dynamic processs…

I don’t know what the current tuition rates are. I do know they’ve very generously provided scholarship assistance for many lay students. They will also probably check your academic background for evidence of studies in philosophy, etc. On second thought that may not be true depending on what degree program you express interest in.

It’s a very good place to study and learn. What inevitably happens - and this is what takes place in seminaries as well - as many distortions or misconceptions one may hold about his/her religious beliefs will be challenged. The purpose of the process is to help move one from an “external faith” to a more deeply interiorized faith. It’s challenging but does very, very good things in the process…

I generally agree with your post regarding CTU except for the statement that CTU is fundamentally for missionaries. This is not exactly correct. It is a graduate school of theology to which numerous religious communities send their seminarians for theological studies. There is a strong mission element to the studies at CTU due to the fact that so many missionary communities are involved with CTU, and students are able to focus on missiology as the main element of their studies if they wish, but they are also able to focus on scripture or liturgy if they choose. CTU was founded primarily a school for those entering religious communities, but lay people are also quite active at CTU and even those who are not Catholic are allowed to enroll. CTU is a member of the Chicago Cluster of Theological Schools which is a group of several seminaries of various religious traditions and students are able to take courses in the member schools of this cluster. As a result, a Catholic seminarian wishing to study the theology of Martin Luther, for example, is able to take a course at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and hear lectures from Lutheran theologians. Lutheran students can take courses in Thomas Aquinas at CTU if they wish. These opportunities make CTU an excellent center for theological studies in America and give CTU students greater opportunities to encounter faith in a variety of forms and traditions. This automatically makes CTU suspicious in the eyes of many, but in my opinion it is the best way to expose Catholics to the uniqueness of their faith.

 

[tpw]

Yes, I agree with you. I was there for two years but my concentration was more in the lines of a missionary thrust. You’re quite right though - in an ecumenical age especially fo those lay or religious who are working in the US, CTU is excellently situated for both ecumenical and interfaith dialogue first because of it’s own curricula, but also for its membership in the Chicago Cluster.

Sad to say some Catholics become immediately suspicious of such an arrangement desiring only the purity of faith. While, one will certainly get that at CTU - it doesn’t take long before one discovers that the “purity of faith” is a somewhat relative term if one considers how the faith tradition actually developed. It’s sources rooted in scripture (which in and of itself also borrowed from other traditions esp. OT), but along the way we’ve borrowed from Platonism, neo-Platonism, Aristotealianism and now in this modern age a variety of other sources as well. The latter of course is one reason why so much confusion may exist within the church and perhaps the biggest reason for the cultural gap within it…

Good post…

 

[Tsuwano]

Yes, I agree with you. I was there for two years but my concentration was more in the lines of a missionary thrust. You’re quite right though - in an ecumenical age especially fo those lay or religious who are working in the US, CTU is excellently situated for both ecumenical and interfaith dialogue first because of it’s own curricula, but also for its membership in the Chicago Cluster.

Sad to say some Catholics become immediately suspicious of such an arrangement desiring only the purity of faith. While, one will certainly get that at CTU - it doesn’t take long before one discovers that the “purity of faith” is a somewhat relative term if one considers how the faith tradition actually developed. It’s sources rooted in scripture (which in and of itself also borrowed from other traditions esp. OT), but along the way we’ve borrowed from Platonism, neo-Platonism, Aristotealianism and now in this modern age a variety of other sources as well. The latter of course is one reason why so much confusion may exist within the church and perhaps the biggest reason for the cultural gap within it…

Good post…

I studied at CTU in the early 80’s and also focused on missiology. Like you, I found CTU an invigorating environment for contemplating my faith and, more importantly, learned how not to be afraid of the ways and means by which faith . . . the Catholic faith, has developed historically. I think one reason there is confusion and a “cultural gap” in the Church is because many refuse to take the presence of the Holy Spirit actively working in the world seriously. It’s as if they believe the Holy Spirit was present at the beginning, but somehow abandoned the Church shortly after that. Anyway, I liked your post, too, and feel honored to meet a former student of CTU.

 

[LotusCarsLtd]

I studied at CTU in the early 80’s and also focused on missiology. Like you, I found CTU an invigorating environment for contemplating my faith and, more importantly, learned how not to be afraid of the ways and means by which faith . . . the Catholic faith, has developed historically. I think one reason there is confusion and a “cultural gap” in the Church is because many refuse to take the presence of the Holy Spirit actively working in the world seriously. It’s as if they believe the Holy Spirit was present at the beginning, but somehow abandoned the Church shortly after that. Anyway, I liked your post, too, and feel honored to meet a former student of CTU.

I think the problem is that theology is a constantly transforming area of study. While the core teaching of the Faith cannot change how we understand it does. Suicide was and still is very seriously sinful, but thanks to modern science we understand that sometimes those who do so aren’t “totally there” mentally and that could reduce culpability. So if we try to further develop the core teachings sometimes we hit resistance. Take for instance Christopher West’s theology on sex/marriage which, I recall, has been criticized by a few more traditional theologians for not being true to Church teaching.

With CTU there seems to be this perception among more conservative members of the Church that they don’t take current teachings and try to develop them further, but rather that they deviate from the unchangeable core itself into things that are potentially heretical. But that’s just how it seems people perceive them, not how I see it necessarily.

 

[Tsuwano]

I think the problem is that theology is a constantly transforming area of study. While the core teaching of the Faith cannot change how we understand it does. Suicide was and still is very seriously sinful, but thanks to modern science we understand that sometimes those who do so aren’t “totally there” mentally and that could reduce culpability. So if we try to further develop the core teachings sometimes we hit resistance. Take for instance Christopher West’s theology on sex/marriage which, I recall, has been criticized by a few more traditional theologians for not being true to Church teaching.

With CTU there seems to be this perception among more conservative members of the Church that they don’t take current teachings and try to develop them further, but rather that they deviate from the unchangeable core itself into things that are potentially heretical. But that’s just how it seems people perceive them, not how I see it necessarily.

I think your view is quite perceptive and I agree with it. I also think it underscores the need for schools such as CTU. I hope you eventually find a good school, whether it be CTU or not, which will help you as you continue your theological studies.

 

[tpw]

Thanks. It’s great to see other graduates from CTU on this website. I believe we received a supurb education and one which has put us in an excellent place to continue spreading the gospel messsage and tradition to diverse groups of people in thoughtful and creative ways.

What type of ministery are you now involved in if you don’t mind me asking?

tpw

 

[Tsuwano]

I’m in my 23rd year as a lay missionary in Japan. I work in a Catholic Jr., Sr. High School for girls here in Nagoya. The school was founded by the Divine Word Missionaries and I work closely with them here in this province.

 

[sharmin]

CTU is not very orthodox at all. It could work for you if you maintain an orthodox religious life. You can learn what you need and discard what is not in keeping with the magisterium. You may not find an orthodox group in the Chicago area in fact, depending on what you want to study.

We had a priest come to our parish from CTU during our Lenten mission. He denounced eucharistic adoration. No kidding. The theme of the entire mission, which was for three consecutive nights, was social justice.

Anytime you see undue emphasis on social justice you can be sure you are in the wrong place. This is a tell-tale sign of recent corruption that has undermined our Church. It is good stewardship to remove support of any group that falls into this category.

Good luck!

oH my gosh!! He denounced adoration? What did he say?

 

[tpw]

Let’s start with basics. First, have you ever attended courses at CTU? Have you ever spoken with any of the professors at CTU? Do you have any REAL idea what CTU does?

If not, then a second question. You claim some kind of “knowlege” of CTU based on an encounter with one priest who according to you apparently criticized Eucharistic Adoration. Yet, not once have you ever given any indication of having spoken with this priest to understand why he may have made such a claim or to see if you really understood what he was saying.

It’s far to easy to make a claim without looking or examining the context in which the claim was made. You say it was a Lenten mission on Social Justice. If your parish had never been exposed to the social doctrine of the church which admittedly makes being a politically engaged Catholic very difficult as we don’t pander to either side in the political debate) it can be very challenging You also never indicate that you spoke to your pastor about this.

It’s far too easy for some (and I’m not saying you since I don’t know you) to prefer Eucharistic Adoration than the demanding and challenging process of thinking through a variety of moral questions beyond the realm of sexuality, abortion and stem cell research.
A good parish will have both. EA sustains us in our difficult task as participants in working through the political ramifications of the social doctrine of the church. On the other hand - EA with no challenge becomes somewhat suspect suggesting a preference for a purely other world Catholicism with no impact on our daily lives…

 

[gmarie21]

Let’s start with basics. First, have you ever attended courses at CTU? Have you ever spoken with any of the professors at CTU? Do you have any REAL idea what CTU does?

If not, then a second question. You claim some kind of “knowlege” of CTU based on an encounter with one priest who according to you apparently criticized Eucharistic Adoration. Yet, not once have you ever given any indication of having spoken with this priest to understand why he may have made such a claim or to see if you really understood what he was saying.

It’s far to easy to make a claim without looking or examining the context in which the claim was made. You say it was a Lenten mission on Social Justice. If your parish had never been exposed to the social doctrine of the church which admittedly makes being a politically engaged Catholic very difficult as we don’t pander to either side in the political debate) it can be very challenging You also never indicate that you spoke to your pastor about this.

It’s far too easy for some (and I’m not saying you since I don’t know you) to prefer Eucharistic Adoration than the demanding and challenging process of thinking through a variety of moral questions beyond the realm of sexuality, abortion and stem cell research.
A good parish will have both. EA sustains us in our difficult task as participants in working through the political ramifications of the social doctrine of the church. On the other hand - EA with no challenge becomes somewhat suspect suggesting a preference for a purely other world Catholicism with no impact on our daily lives…

Never attended but have known a few who have. Social justice, yes, they all are supportive of that (but so is our Pope). All but one CTU I’ve known thought that it was okay to not follow the GIRM in celebrating mass (no Nicene Creed during Sunday Mass, no kneeling during the Consecration). Some were vocal about women’s ordination. Granted these may seem small to some, but to me they do a great disservice.

In regards to your comment on a parish mission during Holy Week. How many parishes with Eucaristic Adoration have you been to? Have you seen all their organizations (run by parishoners) that are directly involved in social justice? Every parish with EA I have been to has had a plethora of ways to do corporal and spiritual works of mercy. But I do have to say, some outsiders assume many of the pastors only care about EA and teachings. They fail to look at the whole parish because they don’t like the message of the homilist. I guess that can go both ways though.

As I said, just be cautious. But again, that’s with anywhere. My current pastor went to CTU and he is not like the other priests and lay I have known who also went there. We are truly blessed with him (and in such a small, know-nothing town).

 

[tpw]

Thanks for your reply.

Keep one thing in mind re: liturgical documents. They are guidelines…A good liturgist is not some kind of liturgical fundamentalist. While there are essential parts of the liturgy obviously, they may vary depending on the liturgical season and whether a parish is gathering for a Sunday liturgy or a weekday liturgy.

All church documents must be interpreted otherwise there is no conceivable way they can be adapted to the worship space and the gathering of the assembly.

Rome’s way of looking at things is very different than the American way. Rome assumes adaptation will need to take place. American’s think one must rigidly adhere to EVERY word in a document…

Keep up your good work.

 

[surritter]

Thanks for your reply.

Keep one thing in mind re: liturgical documents. They are guidelines…A good liturgist is not some kind of liturgical fundamentalist. While there are essential parts of the liturgy obviously, they may vary depending on the liturgical season and whether a parish is gathering for a Sunday liturgy or a weekday liturgy.

It is completely false that the GIRM is simply “guidelines.” (I’m sure this is NOT what they teach at CTU, since you claim they are so orthodox.)

The GIRM is to be followed by the celebrant (or I suppose you prefer the term “presider”) and where there are legitimate options for weekdays etc. then the GIRM will state that. But you make it sound like the liturgy can bend and twist with the priest’s personal preferences.