Parmach, Robert J.

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Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 46 Article 249-1-2014Talking Back: Eloquentia Perfecta: A Way ofProceedingRobert J. ParmachFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationParmach, Robert J. (2014) "Talking Back: Eloquentia Perfecta: A Way of Proceeding," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 46,Article 24.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol46/iss1/24Conversations 39Talking BackIn his Confessions, St. Augustineof Hippo remarks that “youngpeople go forth to marvel at themountaintops, huge waves ofthe sea, sands on the shore, andstars in the sky, but themselvesthey pass by.” In simpler words,while on the great climb toglory youth do not spend time examin-ing the metaphysical self – desires,challenges, shortcomings, intellect,moral stirrings, spirituality, and a senseof who they are and should be. Many ofmy students (freshmen to seniors) con-sider this allegation an unfair general-ization, and perhaps it is. Yet, there is alink between Augustine’s message andJesuit education today – reading, think-ing, and writing ourselves into greaterclarity of mind, heart, and vision.Eloquentia perfecta, which Conversationsdiscussed in #43 (2013), is a way of pro-ceeding. It refers to a Jesuit school’s com-mitment to provide its students with acurriculum that stresses critical reading,writing, and speaking components insmall classes to increase student-to-pro-fessor interaction and foster intellectualand ethical development. It is an outwardmanifestation of the inward (metaphysi-cal) self. It is ethical education, not simplyregurgitating data in a blue book. In thisway, students and professors have moreone-on-one interaction to facilitate a criti-cal and sustainable dialectic in which allearn their keep.In an age of assessment-heavy ver-biage at Jesuit schools, let us not forgetself-assessment. At the heart of St.Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises, self-inven-tory helps our students and facultydevelop into more complete beings ofintegrity (integritas: “wholeness”). Bycaring for the whole person, we exam-ine and reflect upon how God’s graceand our foul-ups interlace. Using theskills of eloquentia perfecta in our dailythinking, reading, writing, and prayinghelps us look not only beyond our-selves, humbly recognizing it is not justabout me, but also within ourselves toembrace what we are called to be in thetrue sense of vocation. Like the studentrevising a term paper after visiting aprofessor’s office hours, we learn moreabout the potency of our voice andargumentative stance upon patientunraveling and rethinking. Thoughtsand words do matter. Sloppy thinking,writing, and speaking cause problems.(Watch the evening news or a politicaldebate.) Being vague, verbose, incoher-ent, dismissive, or adoptive without rea-son and indiscriminate with diction andmisrepresenting others’ viewpoints stuntour metaphysical development. We seethat its troubling effects lead us to poordecisions of the head, heart, and hands.They are judgments that condemnrather than clarify and transform. Theypromote miscommunication, idle chat-ter, and grief for all involved. Recall Aristotle’s maxim: “seldomdeny, rarely affirm, always distinguish.”It is a prudent prescription to follow inand out of the academic classroom. Itdoes not mean apathy or a filibusterwith an uncommitted stance. Rather, itis clarifying that what we write andspeak is the result of informed thinking.Say what you mean, and mean whatyou say. For example, consider a timewhen you judged a matter prejudicially,that is prejudged before knowing andthinking through the facts and possibleoutcomes of your decision. Prettymessy, right? Just ask your girlfriend.Or, more precisely, ask her newboyfriend. As I said, eloquentia perfec-ta is the outward view of my inner self.The hope is that we do practice whatwe preach…literally. The ancient Greek historian (andbig fan of eloquentia perfecta)Thucydides concluded that “what is justis arrived at in human argument, suchthat the strong assert what they can,while the weak yield what they must.”When we better understand ourselves,we own our words and recognize theirlasting impression on others and, forAugustine and Ignatius, ourselves. So,be mindful of the ummms and likes inyour thoughts – spoken and unspoken.Eloquentia perfecta. It is not simply abuzz word on the syllabus. It is a wayof proceeding to clarify our unifiedvision of heart and mind in the transfor-mative work that is Jesuit education.Plus, it will make your mother happy. ■Eloquentia PerfectaA Way of ProceedingBy Robert J. Parmach Robert J. Parmach is freshman dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill anddirector of the Manresa ScholarsProgram, and he teaches philosophyand theology.1Parmach: Talking Back: <em>Eloquentia Perfecta</em>: A Way of ProceedingPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 2014

Talking Back: \u3cem\u3eEloquentia Perfecta\u3c/em\u3e: A Way of Proceeding

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1901&amp;context=conversations

Talking Back: \u3cem\u3eEloquentia Perfecta\u3c/em\u3e: A Way of Proceeding

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