UD theology a department like none other
A program grounded in the Core and seeking truth
Katie Prejean
Issue date: 5/4/10 Section: Commentary
The declaration of one's major is, in some sense, a right of passage. As soon as "English" is turned into the registrar, discussions begin on which poet will be chosen for J-Po; "history" means you sign your life (and TGIT experience) away for a Thursday evening seminar during junior year. Those who write down "philosophy" guarantee themselves at least a headache a week brought on by thinking too much, and those declaring something of a scientific or mathematical nature will consistently answer the question "then why'd you come to a liberal arts university?" until graduation day. At the University of Dallas, declaring one's major is both this right of passage as well as a drawing of the battle lines. In a sense, intellectual barracks are set up and we pull out primary texts as weaponry, each person defending the merit of the major they have chosen. At any state school, even at many other private institutions, a starting salary in a career concerning one's degree frequently determines the quality of a major. Money is never the priority at UD, however, and the merit of any major is thus determined by how it develops virtue within a student's life, leading them ultimately to the contemplation of Truth. It's natural, then, that we feel a certain affinity for our majors, thus leading us to writing entire commentary articles paying homage to the subject at hand and the methods we employ to gain an understanding of the vast amount of material in our particular field.
There's no surprise, then, that I would want to write an article paying homage to the theology department here at the University of Dallas. Arguably the most direct of any discipline, theology is literally the study of the science of God and the Blessed. There is an aim to understand Truth within any field of study - by means of the poet's words, the chemist's formulas and the political theorist's examples. This Truth, of course, is God. Whether within the secular institution where a conversation concerning this ultimate Being is often limited to an argument about His existence, or in a Catholic institution such as UD, where God's existence isn't so much questioned as explored and experienced, each discipline is looking to gain an understanding of who God is (if He is at all) and what He does for us. I am not suggesting that every conversation in every classroom in the academic world is about the person of God directly (meaning a discussion of His attributes and role as Creator and Redeemer); I will unabashedly state, however, that every conversation with a shred of credibility takes place, ultimately, because those involved are attempting to gain an understanding of the Truth - what is real? What is good, beautiful and worthy of time, commitment and love?
There's no surprise, then, that I would want to write an article paying homage to the theology department here at the University of Dallas. Arguably the most direct of any discipline, theology is literally the study of the science of God and the Blessed. There is an aim to understand Truth within any field of study - by means of the poet's words, the chemist's formulas and the political theorist's examples. This Truth, of course, is God. Whether within the secular institution where a conversation concerning this ultimate Being is often limited to an argument about His existence, or in a Catholic institution such as UD, where God's existence isn't so much questioned as explored and experienced, each discipline is looking to gain an understanding of who God is (if He is at all) and what He does for us. I am not suggesting that every conversation in every classroom in the academic world is about the person of God directly (meaning a discussion of His attributes and role as Creator and Redeemer); I will unabashedly state, however, that every conversation with a shred of credibility takes place, ultimately, because those involved are attempting to gain an understanding of the Truth - what is real? What is good, beautiful and worthy of time, commitment and love?
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