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Is It Safe To Study Theology At Notre Dame?


Gabriela

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Full Disclosure: This is my first post, and I attend the University of Notre Dame

 

Scott Hahn's son is studying theology there, so I think you're in the clear.  From my experience, the Theology students are very in line with church teaching.

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Notre Dame is a great place for learning how to think. It is not the place to go if you have a significant need for school to show you what to think.

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Full Disclosure: This is my first post, and I attend the University of Notre Dame

 

Scott Hahn's son is studying theology there, so I think you're in the clear.  From my experience, the Theology students are very in line with church teaching.

 

Welcome, Xanti! And thanks for your input! :)

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Basilisa Marie

Notre Dame is a great place for learning how to think. It is not the place to go if you have a significant need for school to show you what to think.

 

This is a really good statement for any graduate theology program.  It might sound a little harsh, but you really shouldn't be learning out of the catechism for graduate level theology (you should know the catechism already!). Grad school challenges your ideas, and makes you examine your own beliefs. :) 

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please no one take it that I am knocking people who want to go to school to learn what to think re: the contents of their religion. People have all kinds of reasons for going to school; more power to them all. But different schools are good for different things. Some schools are good for people who want to fill up their bucket, others are geared towards expanding the size of the bucket. You may or may not fill it up more in the process but that's not the main point.

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God the Father

Notre Dame is perfectly safe as long as you stay away from the FroYo machines. Changed a lot of women's lives for the worse

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Sponsa-Christi

I don't know too much about Notre Dame, so I can't really answer the original question. But I would tend to disagree with the going opinion here.

 

I think that when you're just starting out in theology (as opposed to when you are a seasoned grad student), you really do need to find a place where you can be truly formed, or "told how to think" to a certain extent. Learning to "think with the Church" in academic theology is a different thing from just being properly catechized. A lot of theology is based on certain paradigms, presuppositions, or fundamental ways of interpreting reality. These presuppositions can be very subtle, and you won't really be able to tell how important they are or be able to criticize "wrong" paradigms until you're much farther along in your studies.

 

So when you're a novice theology student, you need to find a place where you can trust your professors to lead you. I don't think this necessarily means that every single faculty member of your university has to be 100% totally orthodox on everything, but you should find a place where at the very least you can find a couple of good mentors. 

 

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In another thread, you mention that you carry a gun. 

 

I think you will be safe studying theology while carrying a gun. In any college. 

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Catherine Therese

It's interesting that you have posed your question the way that you have. 

To me, it indicates a real desire to know Him more, and a real fear of being led astray. A few things from scripture worth mentioning: "The Truth will set you free" and "Perfect love casts out fear"... having put that on the table, though, it is nevertheless prudent to explore this possibility before jumping in... approaching it as a mini-discernment, really. Is HE the one calling you to pursue Him via an intellectual route? 

 

A few things to ask yourself (and Him) as you discern:

 

1. What do you seek? 

 

2. How strong/reliable is your own personal sensus fidei? Can you smell a rat? Could you identify when something didn't quite gel with Church teaching?

 

3. Do you have access to trusted priests and perhaps to other scholars or friends whom you know are faithful to Church teaching and live their faith actively? 

 

4. What is your reason for studying theology? Is it with a career direction in mind? Is it with personal growth in faith in mind? Will a theology degree give you what you seek?

 

5. Assuming you understand your own temperament and quirks and perks... are you the kind of person who recognises and loves God intellectually, emotionally, creatively or some other way? (Or some hybrid of the above?)

 

In posing these questions, I haven't imposed my opinion on how to interpret whatever your answers might be to the questions and therefore what decision you should make. But some of them might be helpful as you pray about your decision. 

God bless :)

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What do you intend to do with your masters in theology? If it's to prepare yourself for a career as a catechist, then I wouldn't recommend it because those jobs are so few.

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