Mullaly, Mary C

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Loyola Marymount University

Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiryand PracticeVolume 5 | Issue 1 Article 129-1-2001The Catholic Character of Catholic Schools, editedby James Youniss, John Convey & Jeffrey McLellanMary C. MullalyFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/ceThis Book Review is brought to you for free with open access by the School of Education at Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University andLoyola Law School. It has been accepted for publication in Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice by the journal's editorial board andhas been published on the web by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. Formore information about Digital Commons, please contact digitalcommons@lmu.edu. To contact the editorial board of Catholic Education: A Journalof Inquiry and Practice, please email CatholicEdJournal@lmu.edu.Recommended CitationMullaly, M. C. (2001). The Catholic Character of Catholic Schools, edited by James Youniss, John Convey & Jeffrey McLellan. Journal ofCatholic Education, 5 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.15365/joce.0501122013BOOK REVIEWS 129effective approach to religious education and pastoral ministry must takeserious account of this new reality that is open to the religious dimension ofhuman existence and yet presents problems for institutionalized religiousfaith.According to the author, effective religious education and youth ministry"will require an attitude of openness and a willingness to dialogue with whatmay appear at times to be an alien cultural environment" (p. 193). On thebasis of young people's spiritual openness and their search for community,Brennan's final chapter explores a religious educational and pastoralresponse to the reality facing the Church today. He also outlines a number ofprinciples that should underpin the successful enculturation of the gospelmessage into the landscape of contemporary youth culture.Finola Cunnane, S.S.L., Ph.D., is director of religious educatioti. Diocese of Ferns, Ireland.THE CATHOLIC CHARACTER OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLSJAMES YOUNISS, JOHN CONVEY, JEFFREY MCLELLAN, EDS., UNI-VERSITY OF NOTRE DAME PRESS, 2000.Reviewed by Mary C. Mullaly, FMAContemporary Catholic education is presented in this informative book bymeans of a panoptic array of dynamic issues that Catholic schoolsencounter in fulfilling their mission and heritage.Editors James Youniss, John Convey, and Jeffrey McLellan, through aseries of 11 essays, address the raison d'etre for Catholic schools: their reli-gious and Catholic character. These essays are relevant to those inside thesystem who seek a deeper knowledge of the Catholic school's uniqueness,history, and culture. They are also relevant to those outside the system whoseek to understand the Catholic school's contribution to wider society andhumanity as a whole through its religious, moral, and cultural values.The cultural context in which Catholic schools operate is very complexand differs from what it was at the beginning of the 20th century. Debatesand discussions arise as to whether the Catholic school is still measuring upto its standards of the pre-1960s era or is taking advantage of the possibili-ties Vatican II envisioned for its future. The book's introduction maintainsthat this form of debate can distract us from a fundamental point, that "his-tory does not move backward in time and any viable religion must be prac-ticed and understood in the context of real lives and living cultures" (p. 8).The Catholic Character of Catholic Schools addresses this thesis. The key130 Catholic Education/September 2001questions of the authors, and those upon which the book is posited, are: Howare Catholic schools maintaining their religious character today, and what arethe issues they must face in order to fulfill their Catholic heritage?The comprehensive yet summative nature of the essays combines tomake for a treat for an inquiring mind. The content of the chapters variesgreatly in scope, addressing multiple issues that Catholic schools face todayin order to fulfill their religious and academic missions. Following is a sam-pler of some of the fare.John Convey reports results from a 1996 survey of bishops and pastorswho were asked to describe their orientation to Catholic schools, a surveydone to follow up a 1986 study (O'Brien) of the same topic. Of special noteis the finding that priests are not as overwhelmingly supportive of Catholicschools as are bishops.Other issues facing the future of Catholic schools, including the outlookof their continued religiosity, are dealt with in Mueller's study on religioussponsorship of schools run by the laity, Schuttloffel's insights on centraliza-tion and Catholicity in implementing curricula, and Galetto's and Elford'schapters on knowledge of core beliefs central to the Catholic faith in regardto both teachers and students. Carr examines the faith dimension in her studyof principals' self-perceptions as leaders to cultivate students' religious-spir-itual development.Essays on the historical aspects of the Catholic school culture are includ-ed in the text. Jacobs examines the challenge of lay leadership accepting themission that religious teachers once put into practice. Dooley gives a histor-ical overview of theories and controversies in the field of religious educationand concludes with a commentary on the implications of these developmentsfor the Catholic identity of the schools. Walch describes three eras in the his-tory of Catholic schooling in the United States, each era providing new chal-lenges and opportunities. Schools, he concludes, must continually be open tochange. Meagher tracks the role of Catholic schools in helping to form andsustain religious identity. His essay demonstrates why schools must adapt inresponse to changes within the Catholic population and its relationship toAmerican culture.For insight into the issues that formed and continue to mold Catholiceducation today. The Catholic Character of Catholic Schools is a must-readfor anyone involved in Catholic leadership, administration, or governance.The book draws from the project "Legacy at the Crossroads: The Future ofCatholic Schools," a study funded by a grant from the Lilly Foundation.Sr. Mary C. Mullaly. FMA. Ed.D.. is director of the Catholic School Leadership Program. St. Mary'sUniversity. San Antonio, TX.

The Catholic Character of Catholic Schools, edited by James Youniss, John Convey & Jeffrey McLellan

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