The Future of Catholic Higher Education

The Future of Catholic Higher Education: The Open Circle, by James Heft, SM, is a must read for a younger generation that is called to serve God by serving students. It is also a hope-filled message for those who already have dedicated themselves to that ministry, which, at times, may seem to have capitulated to the "consumerization" and "technologization" of Catholic higher education in the United States. * DONALD NESTI, newman studies journal *
The tone is measured, unpolemical, irenical, practical, and constructive. Heft is a committed insider to the tradition he describes, confident in what he has to offer, but also humble about its shortcomings. * John Sullivan, Liverpool Hope University, The Heythrop Journal *
Anyone who cares about this ecosystem and especially its Catholic dimension will benefit from James Heft's fine volume. * Thomas Albert Howard, Christian Century *
Catholic schools exist in an ecosystem with other private, church-related institutions ... Anyone who cares about this ecosystem and especially its Catholic dimension will benefit from James Heft's fine volume. Having served as a professor and administrator at several Catholic institutions and as founding director of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California, Heft brings theoretical depth and practical experience to his analysis. * Thomas Albert Howard, Christian Century *
...most intriguing... * George Dennis O'Brien, Commonweal Magazine *
Based on a combination of scholarship and personal experience, The Future of Catholic Higher Education offers great imagination, sparkling clarity, and good common sense. Heft's book will be a valuable resource for orientations and retreats at Catholic universities, but many of its insights apply to higher education more broadly. * Mark W. Roche, author of Realizing the Distinctive University: Vision and Values, Strategy and Culture *
In The Future of Catholic Higher Education: The Open Circle, Fr. Heft engages the reader thoroughly and on multiple levels. As one has come to expect from Heft, the argument is lucid, though not simple, the language direct but nuanced, the themes rigorously researched and passionately human. The reader is left with a sense of hope that Catholic higher education can overcome the challenges we face in education today, perhaps most significantly in its 'creation of an interior spirit responsive to ethical questions. * Faiza Shereen, Professor, California State Polytechnic University *
Reading Heft's The Future of Catholic Higher Education was an enlightening experience, especially his chapters on Jesus and Mary. He writes about the gospel's treatment of their lives and reflects on the ways their teachings influence discourse, both in classrooms and the literature on the Catholic tradition. These essays will inform faculty in secular universities about some of the ways contemporary arguments about social justice are consonant with faith, an important aspect of teaching about diversity. * Edward P. St. John, Professor Emeritus, School of Education, Algo D. Henderson Collegiate Professor, Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor *