The Catholic Intellectual Tradition

Intellectual life is central to the identity of a Catholic university. Catholics have traditionally used reason to understand truths about nature and human existence, as these witness the divine origins of history. A distinctive feature of the Catholic intellectual tradition is the belief that knowledge achieved through reason, and knowledge attained by faith, are equally valid and ultimately compatible.

A vigorous intellectual life was implicit in Christianity's very beginning. The evangelists and the apostle Paul developed ideas in their writings that related Christianity to the great themes of the Hebrew Scriptures. Writers of the second century interpreted Christianity with the language of the major philosophies of the day, especially Platonism. There was an implicit confidence that, to use the phrase of St. Augustine, "The truth is yours, O God, wherever it is found."

The Church's intellectual life has been carried out in monasteries, cathedral schools, universities, and institutes. The emergence of the monastery in the early Middle Ages not only provided a focus for the Church's intellectual life, but also ensured the continuation of the culture of western civilization. Beginning in the twelfth century, Catholic scholars pursued all types of learning at universities, drawing not only upon their own tradition, but also upon Greek and Roman writers as well as contemporary Islamic and Jewish scholars. Many felt that there should be neither fear nor hesitation in raising questions and in searching for truth from all sources. The Catholic tradition has always been enriched by the contributions of other faiths as well as a broad range of philosophies and ways of living.

One gift of the medieval university has been the development of an independent intellectual tradition of theology in dialogue with the leadership of the Church. The Catholic intellectual tradition has welcomed the creative tensions that have existed between theological scholars and Church leaders. This tradition has never been monolithic; diversity has always been present. Even in the New Testament, different ideas and emphases are discernible in the various stories that are told.

Certain characteristics are typically displayed where the Church's intellectual life is vibrant:

• The Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures are translated and studied in an attempt to explain the themes of the Bible in a contemporary idiom.
• Spirituality with its rich and varied traditions is regarded as a genuine expression of faith.
• Innovative as well as established philosophical ideas are examined since disciplined and systematic thought can help discern significant truths about reality and human existence.
• The classic texts of early Christianity are re-studied in the light of contemporary language and culture, as Catholic intellectuals attempt to understand the ages that preceded them.
• Ethical issues come to the fore as thinkers examine the value of life and attempt to understand behavior in such arenas as family, health, economics, environment, and human conflict.
• Language is a recurrent challenge to Christianity since to preach the Gospel to the nations implies speaking to people in their own tongues. During periods of intellectual ferment within Catholicism, the learning of languages, both classical and living, has been held in high regard.
• Where Catholic thought has flourished, there has often been concurrent expression in literature, painting, sculpture, architecture and music. The contemporary Catholic university sees itself as heir to this tradition. Open to free inquiry and enriched by the contributions of many religions and schools of thought, as well as by the culture in which it exists, the modern Catholic university welcomes scholars of different traditions, all of whom are essential to its purpose.

Just as the University of Alcala rests on the principles of Christian humanism, so too does its progeny, the University of San Diego. Over the course of the last century, those principles have been more explicitly articulated in a collection of documents that comprises the social teachings of the Church. These have become the touchstone for judging the authenticity of this Catholic University's public purpose; that is, its work on behalf of God's creation.