From the Academy

Desrrre all the clamor and confusion in Catholic intellectual circles nowa- days, there survives a central great tradition of faith and intellect in Cath- olic universities and colleges which is likely to remain healthful long after the present controversy is forgotten. Recently, in this page, I criticized a certain rashness at various Catholic universities, eager to be modern and to escape from dullness. To para- phrase Sir Thomas Browne, not every man is a proper champion of the truth; many have rashly charged the hosts of error and have fallen trophies to the enemies of right reason.

Let me add, however, that I have visited a good many sound Catholic institu- ‘tions of higher learning, neither stagnant nor bit- ten by the lust for innovation. I offer here two ex- amples: Aquinas College, a Dom- inican establish- ment in Grand Rapids, dedicated to the prescriptive ends of liberal learn- ing; and Saint Mary’s College, in northern California, a Benedictine foundation interested in prudent ex- periment. Kirk M- ASSISTANT, Mr. William Odell, has enrolled at Aquinas. Years ago, Mr. Odell dropped out of another col- lege from boredom, and spent four years in the Air Force. Returning to — the grove of academe, he finds that Aquinas is precisely what he always had hoped college would be. The staff are earnest and able scholars, thor- oughly interested in both their dis- ciplines and their students; the curri- culum is well designed for the life of the mind, with almost nothing in the way of boondoggle or superficial-sur- vey courses.

RK

About the Author

Russell Kirk

Desrrre all the clamor and confusion in Catholic intellectual circles nowa- days, there survives a central great tradition of faith and intellect in Cath- olic universities and colleges which is likely to remain healthful long after the present controversy is forgotten. Recently, in this page, I criticized a certain rashness at various Catholic universities, eager to be modern and to escape from dullness. To para- phrase Sir Thomas Browne, not every man is a proper champion of the truth; many have rashly charged the hosts of error and have fallen trophies to the enemies of right reason.

Let me add, however, that I have visited a good many sound Catholic institu- ‘tions of higher learning, neither stagnant nor bit- ten by the lust for innovation. I offer here two ex- amples: Aquinas College, a Dom- inican establish- ment in Grand Rapids, dedicated to the prescriptive ends of liberal learn- ing; and Saint Mary’s College, in northern California, a Benedictine foundation interested in prudent ex- periment. Kirk M- ASSISTANT, Mr. William Odell, has enrolled at Aquinas. Years ago, Mr. Odell dropped out of another col- lege from boredom, and spent four years in the Air Force. Returning to — the grove of academe, he finds that Aquinas is precisely what he always had hoped college would be. The staff are earnest and able scholars, thor- oughly interested in both their dis- ciplines and their students; the curri- culum is well designed for the life of the mind, with almost nothing in the way of boondoggle or superficial-sur- vey courses.