Manhattan Examines Catholic Identity as Colleges Nationwide Discuss Religion
Dom Delgardo
Issue date: 10/11/06 Section: News
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Only eight months ago, President Thomas Scanlan announced in his annual convocation speech that he envisioned Manhattan College as the "premier Catholic college of New York City." The speech also called into question the current hiring process for new faculty members.
"We expect [the faculty] to embrace our Core Belief, namely that we live in the presence of God," said Scanlan. He also explained that, "it follows inescapably that Atheists are in essential conflict with our Core Belief." He made it clear that a potential candidate should put teaching rather than researching at the forefront. Along with their faith in God, these two criteria would play a big role in selecting the faculty at Manhattan College in the future.
The statement sent a deep rift between faculty and administrators and sparked serious discussion over the President's intentions. Both faculty and students have mixed opinions on what the role of Catholicism should be on campus. While initially tempers flared and responses were reactionary, civility has returned to the discussion as both the administration and their opponents have attempted to find a compromise.
The college's attempt to find an "appropriate level" of Catholicism within the institution is not isolated to Riverdale. All around the country, Catholic schools have been struggling to find a place for their founding religion. In the September 22 issue of Commonweal, a respected Catholic-oriented magazine, one cover story was "The Crisis of Catholic Higher Education." The article reported how the relationship between religion and education has become strained in Catholic institutions all around the country.
Brother Robert Berger, Vice President for Student Life, explained that a Catholic university's community needs to include "people of various faiths and no faith."
One problem that opponents have with the proposed Catholic hiring process is that it may skew a student's search for faith and education. In relation to this idea, Berger said that the college should provide a genuine dialogue on all issues in order to "give people the opportunity to reach their own conclusions." Along with other professors and administrators, he believes that a professor's religious faith should not affect his or her lectures.