Network of Researchers in Catholic Education
Dr. Gareth Byrne from DCU’s Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education visited Liverpool Hope University on Wed 21st March for the launch of two interesting books by colleagues who re part of the Network of Researchers in Catholic Education with which he is associated. Professor John Sullivan launched his new monograph, The Christian Academic in Higher Education (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018) offering historical perspectives and contemporary analysis of academic scholarship and teaching in the light of the Christian vocation. It addresses both the inner life and the workplace responsibilities of academics, focusing on the individual academic and how Christian faith might shape his or her work.
Christian Faith Formation and Education also from Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, edited by Ros Stuart-Buttle and John Shortt, offers original insights into the education and formation of the human person, both theoretical and practical. Contemporary tensions created within an increasingly secular society are debated from interdenominational Christian perspectives. It argues against the common assumption that there can be a neutral approach to education, whilst at the same time advocating a critical dimension to faith education.
These two significant contributions, then, to the discussion on what part a person’s Christian worldview can and should have on their intellectual reflection and therefore on their academic work, are well worth a good look.