The Twin Plights of Religion and of the Humanities

The Twin Plights of Religion and of the Humanities by David G Bonagura, Jr. at The Catholic Thing. It is old news that the practice of Christianity and the study of the humanities have been declining for decades. Their falls, however, are rarely considered together. One has not caused the collapse of the other. The two are suffering because the spirit of our age despises the goal they share – the shaping of the human mind and soul for transcendent goods. Tracing their twin plights illuminates their virtues and the crippling worldliness that undermines them as lights on our journey to God. Read

UPDATE: Classical Catholic High School in DC Announces Plans for Second Location by Madalaine Elhabbal at Catholic News Agency. Demand among Catholic families in northern Virginia has spurred the leadership of the St. Jerome Institute, a classical liberal arts high school in Washington, D.C., to announce plans to open a second campus in the Diocese of Arlington. The proposed opening of the new school comes six years after the institute first launched in the nation’s capital, where enrollment has grown from three to 65 students. Pending final approval from the Diocese of Arlington, the school will operate independently with an education plan developed by its own curriculum board. Read

5 Questions on a Seminar Leader's Checklist by Andrew J. Zwerneman at Cana Academy. You may be a veteran seminar leader. Perhaps you are heading into your first year leading seminars. In either case, every seminar leader can benefit from a checklist. Here are 5 foundational questions you ought to ask yourself before you walk into the seminar with your students. Read

The Death of Mass Literacy by R. R. Reno at First Things. In this episode, Wessie du Toit joins Rusty Reno on The Editor’s Desk to talk about his recent essay, “The Future of Reading” from the June/July 2025 issue of the magazine. Listen

The SAT’s Trust Fall by Michael Torres at The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. As the policy director for the Classic Learning Test (CLT), I’ve had dozens of conversations with lawmakers across the country about college entrance exams over the last year. Surprisingly, the topic that has drawn the most intense scrutiny has not been the CLT: It’s been changes made to the SAT in 2024 (and similar changes to the ACT being implemented right now). First, most lawmakers are surprised to learn that the tests change at all. They are then flabbergasted to learn what the most recent changes to the SAT were. Read

The Teaching Vocation by Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas at What We Need Now. In many respects the vocation of teaching is the most important professional vocation in the Church. Why? Because without good Catholic school teachers, the priest could not function properly in the sanctuary; the pews would be more empty than they are today; the faith would stop with this generation; society would be impoverished by lacking the leaven of Catholic graduates; and the rich traditions of our faith would fade into the distant past. In point of fact, without the work of evangelization and catechesis, liturgy would be reduced to magic and superstition. And so it is fair to say that Catholic school teachers are not merely cogs in a wheel; they are the very hub! Read

Old-School "Blue Books" Make a Comeback to Beat AI Cheating on College Campuses by Greg Maresca at The Remnant. In a world shaped by algorithms, bureaucracies and nonstop social media, the blue book is a welcomed and needed blast from the past. They are a constructive, yet inexpensive tool that consists of blank ruled pages waiting to be filled with knowledge obtained.  In an era where computers and virtual schooling relegated the blue book to academia’s endangered list, its comeback solves a problem that didn’t exist until now. Read

Manners: A Lost Key in Raising Children by Dr. John Cuddeback at Life Craft. Although the lack of manners today is generally noted with disapproval, we often do not think of manners as a central feature of how we raise our children. But manners are arguably the major instance of a concrete, tangible thing we are failing to pass on, to the great detriment of all of us. As a parent I understand why this happens. We focus on the larger things that obviously pertain to a right world-view and good moral standards. Manners—at least beyond the most rudimentary such as ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ (though sometimes those too)—slip under the radar. Read

UMary Launches World’s First Catholic Montessori Institute by Kate Quiñones at Catholic News Agency. The University of Mary has launched the world’s first Catholic Montessori Institute (CMI), making the institute the go-to place for certification in Catholic Montessori education. Montessori has grown popular in both secular and religious spaces since its founding by Dr. Maria Montessori (1870–1952), a practicing Catholic who developed a way of teaching young children about God according to their own needs. Read

Christendom College to Offer Graduate Degrees in Education by Kate Quiñones at Catholic World Report. Christendom College announced that it will begin offering graduate degrees in education in what its president calls a “tremendous moment” for the college…The doctoral program is part of the college’s newly established Center for Educational Philosophy and Leadership, which will offer a 30-credit master’s degree in education designed for Catholic educators and administrators and a 54-credit doctorate of education. Organizers expect between 10-16 people in the inaugural cohort, according to a spokesman for Christendom. Christendom President George Harne said he believes the graduate programs will enable the college of about 550 students to provide even deeper formation for leaders in the renewal of Catholic education. Read

Throwback Thursday

Sound a Liberal Arts Revolution by Scott J. Bloch at The Catholic Thing on November 19, 2022. It’s time to get radical on campuses everywhere. I mean radical, as in a return to roots. There has been enough of the pulling up of roots in so-called higher education. We are enervated; many are disgusted, having given up on liberal arts education altogether. Unwittingly, are we also giving up on the best that Western Civilization has to offer? What are the roots of liberal education at the university level? The monasteries and the teachings of monks at the University of Paris. Read