| The
Holy Cross Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture translates into action
those commitments, set forth in the College's Mission
Statement, that grow out of its distinctive tradition as a Jesuit liberal
arts college. Jesuit education understands that faith and learning are
partners in liberal education. It pursues the advancement of knowledge
across a range of academic disciplines while holding firm in its historic
dedication to philosophical, religious and moral inquiry. It aims to make
the pursuit of justice, spiritual development of persons, and the transformation
of culture vital elements of its ministry. These ideals give rise to the
work of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.
The
Center gives substance to the "invitation to dialogue about basic human
questions" that informs the life of Holy Cross. It provides common ground
for all those members of the Holy Cross community - students, faculty,
alumni/ae and friends - who take seriously the search for meaning, our
obligations to one another and to the world's poor, and the moral character
of learning and teaching. The Center embraces persons of all faiths, regards
none as religious strangers, and aims to enrich the spiritual life of all
who participate in its work. Accordingly, it fosters dialogue that respects
differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious
as well as interdisciplinary, intercultural and international in scope.
At the same time, the Center explores "that sense of the whole" which transcends
difference and calls us toward our common humanity. Most of all, the Center
embodies the promise that, at Holy Cross, engagement with fundamental religious
and philosophical questions will be at the heart of the community's common
life.
The
Center has a special responsibility to develop and support Catholic intellectual
life, bring Catholicism into conversation with other faith traditions,
and enable members of the community to share in the life of the contemporary
Church and its mission of service to the human family. It also has a special
responsibility to ensure that the College's vital partnership with the
Society of Jesus remains an integral element of its mission and identity.
By helping people better understand the nature and strengths of Catholic
intellectual life and the College's Jesuit mission, the Center prepares
them for a life of service and enables them to be true partners in interreligious
dialogue.
Through
its programs, the Center also brings Holy Cross into conversation with
a wide range of academic and religious communities beyond the campus. In
seeking creative forms of inquiry in religion, ethics and culture, the
College thus honors its historic Jesuit and Catholic mission, fulfills
its responsibilities in church and society, and contributes to the ongoing
renewal of liberal arts education. |
