Schmidt, Edward W., S.J.

English

epublications@Marquette

Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 49 Jesuit Higher Education in a GlobalContext Article 28September 2016From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home -We're Doing WellEdward W. Schmidt S.J.Follow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationSchmidt, Edward W. S.J. (2016) "From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home - We're Doing Well," Conversations on Jesuit HigherEducation: Vol. 49 , Article 28.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol49/iss1/28                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1FROM THE EDITORCaring for Our Common Home – We’re Doing WellThe work of our schools is a worthy tribute to the insightsand challenges of Pope Francis in his encyclical “LaudatoSi’: On Care for Our Common Home,” which has cast carefor the environment as a spiritual mandate and a justiceissue. Sharing the stories we offer here is a fitting way tocelebrate the first anniversary of its publication.       Back in the 1960s, a Jesuit friend and I were in gradu-ate school at Georgetown. Marty was studying biology; Iwas working in linguistics. One day Marty said that hethought he would concentrate on ecology. Ecology – theword was new to me. My linguistic interest quickly gotengaged. Eco had to do with the home, as economy had todo with running a household. And ecumenical had to dowith the whole inhabited world, where people live, wherethey build their homes. That’s a stretch, but it is where theword comes from. Other coinages followed, like ecosystemand eco-friendly.       Ecology was a recently emerging study, not the sameas environmentalism but closely associated with it. Thefirst Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. Marty explainedthat ecology concerned not just this animal or that, thisplant family or another. Ecology looks at how livingthings relate to each other, how plants and animals affecteach other, one sheltering another, one eating another,two species whose survival depends on each other.        When humans enter the picture, they don’t alwaysmaintain the balance that nature builds. With a drive toacquire more than they need, to store up now to allowleisure later, they often upset that balance. But didn’t Godtell us to have dominion over all the other living crea-tures? It’s right there in the first chapter of the Bible. ButGod called us not to dominion, which leads to exploita-tion, but rather to stewardship. God charged us to watchover creation, to protect it, to use it wisely.        Our 28 Jesuit colleges and universities make signifi-cant contributions to the movement to protect the earththat has evolved in recent decades. The stories in thesepages witness an amazing variety of approaches to envi-ronmental questions, all designed to get something done.University communities seem not to need much encour-agement to face the causes and the effects of environmen-tal damage – destruction of the land, extinction of species,global warming. Students take the need for granted andwant to do something they see as vitally important. Fac-ulty and administrators constantly look for new ways tobuild a new project, eliminate waste, save energy. Wepresent these stories in longer pieces, in reflections or re-ports from students and alumni, and in art. A lot of peo-ple are making a great difference.        This issue of Conversations also includes two newshort features. One is “Where We Come From,” a shorthistory of one of the 28 schools. We will work our waythrough all 28, but with two issues a year that will takesome time. We also have a teacher’s reflections in “Teach-ing the Mission”; our first column in this series is by Conversations seminar member Molly Pepper of Gonzaga.A letter in this issue from Pat Howell, the chair of the Conversations seminar, explains other innovations.        A great part of the enjoyment of being part of Conver-sations is welcoming new members to the seminar. Thisseason we welcome Clint Springer, a professor of biologyat St. Joseph’s University. A native of West Virginia, Clinthas a strong interest in Appalachia and knows Catholicsocial teaching on the exploitation of that region. He hasdone specialized research on climate change.        That enjoyment comes at the cost of saying farewell.This year we say farewell to Jim McCartin, theology pro-fessor and director of the Fordham Center on Religionand Culture, who has faithfully finished his three yearson the seminar. We will miss Jim’s insights and goodhumor; fortunately he works not far away and I am sureI’ll run into Jim from time to time.        Higher education has many issues to deal with, assuccessive numbers of Conversations show. A special sec-tion in The New York Times on June 23 studied a range ofthese issues, highlighting a lead article by Frank Bruni,“Student, or Customer?” Other issues included freespeech, food and costs, sexual assault, and diversity. Thenext Conversations will address some of these issues as“Difficult Conversations.” For now, we focus on how ourschools are addressing the need to care for our commonhome. We can always do more, of course, but that is noreason not to recognize the immense good that we do. Edward W. Schmidt, S.J., editor1Schmidt: From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home - We're Doing WellPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 2016

From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home - We\u27re Doing Well

Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 50 Article 2September 2016From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home -We're Doing WellEdward W. Schmidt S.J.Follow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationSchmidt, Edward W. S.J. (2016) "From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home - We're Doing Well," Conversations on Jesuit HigherEducation: Vol. 50 , Article 2.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol50/iss1/2                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1FROM THE EDITORCaring for Our Common Home – We’re Doing WellThe work of our schools is a worthy tribute to the insightsand challenges of Pope Francis in his encyclical “LaudatoSi’: On Care for Our Common Home,” which has cast carefor the environment as a spiritual mandate and a justiceissue. Sharing the stories we offer here is a fitting way tocelebrate the first anniversary of its publication.       Back in the 1960s, a Jesuit friend and I were in gradu-ate school at Georgetown. Marty was studying biology; Iwas working in linguistics. One day Marty said that hethought he would concentrate on ecology. Ecology – theword was new to me. My linguistic interest quickly gotengaged. Eco had to do with the home, as economy had todo with running a household. And ecumenical had to dowith the whole inhabited world, where people live, wherethey build their homes. That’s a stretch, but it is where theword comes from. Other coinages followed, like ecosystemand eco-friendly.       Ecology was a recently emerging study, not the sameas environmentalism but closely associated with it. Thefirst Earth Day was celebrated in 1970. Marty explainedthat ecology concerned not just this animal or that, thisplant family or another. Ecology looks at how livingthings relate to each other, how plants and animals affecteach other, one sheltering another, one eating another,two species whose survival depends on each other.        When humans enter the picture, they don’t alwaysmaintain the balance that nature builds. With a drive toacquire more than they need, to store up now to allowleisure later, they often upset that balance. But didn’t Godtell us to have dominion over all the other living crea-tures? It’s right there in the first chapter of the Bible. ButGod called us not to dominion, which leads to exploita-tion, but rather to stewardship. God charged us to watchover creation, to protect it, to use it wisely.        Our 28 Jesuit colleges and universities make signifi-cant contributions to the movement to protect the earththat has evolved in recent decades. The stories in thesepages witness an amazing variety of approaches to envi-ronmental questions, all designed to get something done.University communities seem not to need much encour-agement to face the causes and the effects of environmen-tal damage – destruction of the land, extinction of species,global warming. Students take the need for granted andwant to do something they see as vitally important. Fac-ulty and administrators constantly look for new ways tobuild a new project, eliminate waste, save energy. Wepresent these stories in longer pieces, in reflections or re-ports from students and alumni, and in art. A lot of peo-ple are making a great difference.        This issue of Conversations also includes two newshort features. One is “Where We Come From,” a shorthistory of one of the 28 schools. We will work our waythrough all 28, but with two issues a year that will takesome time. We also have a teacher’s reflections in “Teach-ing the Mission”; our first column in this series is by Conversations seminar member Molly Pepper of Gonzaga.A letter in this issue from Pat Howell, the chair of the Conversations seminar, explains other innovations.        A great part of the enjoyment of being part of Conver-sations is welcoming new members to the seminar. Thisseason we welcome Clint Springer, a professor of biologyat St. Joseph’s University. A native of West Virginia, Clinthas a strong interest in Appalachia and knows Catholicsocial teaching on the exploitation of that region. He hasdone specialized research on climate change.        That enjoyment comes at the cost of saying farewell.This year we say farewell to Jim McCartin, theology pro-fessor and director of the Fordham Center on Religionand Culture, who has faithfully finished his three yearson the seminar. We will miss Jim’s insights and goodhumor; fortunately he works not far away and I am sureI’ll run into Jim from time to time.        Higher education has many issues to deal with, assuccessive numbers of Conversations show. A special sec-tion in The New York Times on June 23 studied a range ofthese issues, highlighting a lead article by Frank Bruni,“Student, or Customer?” Other issues included freespeech, food and costs, sexual assault, and diversity. Thenext Conversations will address some of these issues as“Difficult Conversations.” For now, we focus on how ourschools are addressing the need to care for our commonhome. We can always do more, of course, but that is noreason not to recognize the immense good that we do. Edward W. Schmidt, S.J., editor1Schmidt: From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home - We're Doing WellPublished by e-Publications@Marquette, 2016

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From the Editor: Caring for Our Common Home - We\u27re Doing Well

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