"Offers the spiritual foundations that should define/suffuse Catholic education, at every level, to ensure that Catholic schools are providing the education that they promise"--

Catholic schools have long contributed to the mission of the Church and to the flourishing of society. During the past few decades, however, Catholic schools have suffered severe losses, both in their religious identity and in their capacity to attract students. With penetrating insights, pointed anecdotes, and drawing upon recent empirical studies and Church documents, Ryan Topping describes the near collapse of Catholic education in North America and uncovers the enduring principles of authentic renewal. In The Case for Catholic Education you'll discover: . the three purposes of Catholic education . why virtue is more important than self-esteem . the elements of a true "common core" curriculum . essential differences between "progressive" and "Catholic" models of learning . helpful study questions and a research guide "This is an accessible and eminently readable book on a topic which no Catholic can afford to ignore."--Joseph Pearce, Aquinas College, Nashville, TN "The Case for Catholic Education speaks to the heart of the debate over whether Catholic education is 'worth it.'"--Sister John Mary Fleming, O.P., Executive Director for Catholic Education, USCCB "The Case for Catholic Education will surely play a vital role in reinvigorating the handing-on of essential Catholic truths."--Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P., Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Ann Arbor, MI "This short book contains an astonishing wealth of insights and practical suggestions."--Dr. Keith Cassidy, President of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, Barry's Bay, ON, Canada "Ryan Topping has written an engaging and coherent analysis of the state of Catholic education in North America, which will be useful for teachers in Britain, too."--Dr. Paul Shrimpton, Magdalen College School, Oxford, UK "An insightful view of our threatened patrimony and a framed vision for what educating and forming our children may still yet become."--Dr. Jason Fugikawa, Dean of Academics and Faculty, Holy Family Academy, Manchester, NH "The Case for Catholic Education includes sound advice in regards to the teaching of Good Books and then Great Books in the high school years, and for including Christ throughout an education."--Patrick S.J. Carmack, Founder of the Angelicum Academy and the Great Books Academy homeschool programs "It is impossible to read this book without feeling stirred to the joy--and the work--of better educating our young people."--Patrick Conley, Director of Faith Formation, Cathedral of St. Paul, MN "In his latest offering, Ryan Topping presents a lucid and lively exploration of the foundations of a true Catholic education."--Veronica Burchard, Vice President for Education Programs, Sophia Institute for Teachers, Bedford, NH "Every Catholic educator and school administer should read and re-read this fine book."--Dr. Jason West, President and Academic Dean, Newman Theological College, Edmonton, AB, Canada "This engaging book combines incisive appraisal and exposition with inspiring encouragement and exhortation."--Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., Dominican Province of St. Joseph, New York, NY Ryan N. S. Topping earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Merrimack, NH. He is the author of Happiness and Wisdom (CUA Press, 2012), Rebuilding Catholic Culture (Sophia Institute Press, 2013), and Renewing the Mind: A Reader in the Philosophy of Catholic Education (CUA Press, 2015)."

The Power of Forgiveness, Pope Francis on Reconciliation calls the reader to explore the mercy of God, received in a profound way by turning toward God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This heartfelt collection of the Pope's reflections on the need for repentance, awareness of sin, God's divine mercy, forgiveness of others, and confession and absolution, is a transformative read for Catholics of all vocational states!

Using the evidence of Magisterial, European and American history, this book analyzes the historical standards the Catholic Church established for education and demonstrates exactly where and when the concept went off the rails in America. But most important, it demonstrates why it went off the rails. You will discover surprising facts concerning the American episcopal hierarchy, and even more surprising facts concerning their enemies. You will learn why school reform never succeeds, how and when the schools began to break down (it's not when you think), how the Catholic parochial schools inadvertently fueled the culture of death and you will thereby discover the reason we are where we are today. But best of all, you will see the way out of the morass. Because the analysis of the breakdown is thorough, the solution is much easier to envision. Designed to Fail describes three centuries of knock-down drag-out combat between the Catholic Faith and American culture, but it also shows how Catholics can triumph.

Today, Catholic colleges and universities are dealing with critical questions about what constitutes Catholic collegiate identity. Based on their research, Morey and Piderit describe the present situation and offer concrete suggestions for enhancing Catholic identity, culture, and mission at all Catholic colleges and universities. The authors define the critical issues and analyze and address them by using the rich construct of culture, particularly organizational culture; and they provide four different models of how Catholic colleges and universities can operate and successfully compete as religiously distinctive institutions in the higher education market.

1968 witnessed perhaps the greatest revolution in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. It was led by Fr. Charles Curran, professor of Theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington, with more than 500 theologians who signed a "Statement of Dissent" that declared Catholics were not bound in conscience to follow the Church's teaching in the encyclical of Pope Paul VI,Humanae Vitae, that artificial contraception is morally wrong because it is destructive of the good of Christian marriage. The battle at Catholic University centered on the major question in Catholic higher education during the turbulent years after the Second Vatican Council, "What is the meaning of academic freedom at a Catholic university?" Curran and the dissenting theologians maintained they needed to be free to teach without constraint by any outside authority, including the bishops. The bishops maintained that the American tradition of religious freedom guaranteed the right of religiously-affiliated schools to require their professors to teach in accord with the authority of their church. This clash over the authority of the Magisterium of the Church within its own academic institutions was at the heart of the dramatic clash which unfolded at CUA. This book uses never-before published material from the personal papers of the key players at CUA to tell the inside story of the dramatic events that unfolded there in the late 1960's. Beginning with the 1967 faculty-led strike in support of Curran, this book reveals the content of the internal discussions between the key bishops on the CUA Board of Trustees. Incorporating personal interviews with Curran, the author presents a balanced account of the deep frustration and anger against the institutional authority of the Church which played into the hands of the dissenting theologians. This work attempts to disprove both the standard "liberal" and "conservative" interpretation of the events of 1968, suggesting that the culture of dissent was a direct fruit of the excessive legalism and authoritarianism which marked the Church in the United States during the years preceding Vatican II. Because the polarization in 1968 has continued to define the experience of many American Catholics and has had an ongoing effect on Catholic education, this work should be extremely interesting to those who wish to understand the recent past so as to move forward into the 21st century with a greater awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of Catholic education in the United States.

Educating in Christ provides a comprehensive outline of religious developmental stages, indicating activities appropriate for each of these from age three years to adolescence. The best of contemporary teaching practices are linked with sound Montessori principles and the Catholic understanding of a pedagogy of God.