“Reversing the Secularist Drift”: John Courtney Murray and the Telos of Catholic Higher Education

Abstract

The author explores John Courtney Murray's thought on the telos of Catholic higher education. Although best known for his political writings on church and state and for his advocacy of religious freedom within a pluralistic society, Murray has also written extensively on Catholic higher education. After reviewing some of the core principles that guided his thinking on the nature of Catholic education and the relation of theology to other academic disciplines, the article offers some practical suggestions for realizing Murray's vision in today's context.