Catholic universities in strong position to advocate for academic freedom

The “time is ripe” for the contributions Catholic universities can make to society in relation to academic freedom, Professor Jacob Phillips of St Mary’s, Twickenham has said.

In his experience a Catholic university was a place where people can inquire freely and in a way which is “freer” than at other institutions, the professor of systematic theology said.  

He was speaking at a Tablet webinar, “How Catholic Universities foster critical thought and shape doctrine.”

He expressed concern over the “very difficult position” universities in the UK are in financially and said Catholic universities could offer the space to talk about an understanding of university education which is less utilitarian and business orientated.

Addressing the question of how Catholic universities can shape doctrine, Professor Phillips spoke of the proximity of the concept of synodality to collegiality.

“I think Catholic university should become a sort of beacon of collegiality,” he said and expressed the hope that collegiality can be informed by and inform consultative and collective decision-making at the ecclesial level in the Church’s life.

Professor Eamonn Conway of Notre Dame University, Australia told the webinar that a Catholic University needs to cultivate and enable both faith and reason.

“Faith protects us from the arid rationalism which is becoming more dominant in our universities,” he said.

Questioning whether Catholic universities are cultivating the next generation of scholars who will be able to engage in theology as a science of faith, he said a lot of younger theologians are not getting the supports they need across Europe.

Professor Peter McGrail of Liverpool Hope University highlighted how the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Church in the Modern World is an invitation to be “radically open” and to explore “the realities, complexities and contradictions of what it is to be a human being”.

Stay updated — add us as a preferred news source on Google: