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Spring 2013
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LETTERS & COLUMNS

Food for Thought

 

The editors of Xavier magazine receive copies of publications from other Catholic universities around the country. As a service to our readers, we compiled a list of articles on Catholicism published in those magazines that we thought might be of interest. —Editor

  • In an excerpt from his book A Revolution of Love, author David Scott asks “Does Mother Teresa Matter?” in the Spring 2005 issue of Portland magazine.

  • Everyone faces the questions and struggles of death—of loved ones and, eventually, their own. How do meet this with faith, hope and love? Juan de Polanco, S.J., a 16th century Jesuit and personal secretary and executive assistant to Ignatius of Loyola, set out to answer that question, which is revisited in a story in the winter 2006 issue of Santa Clara Magazine.

  • In an effort to meet the flock where it’s at, dioceses in approximately 44 states now offer a Theology-on-Tap series where they take the message and fellowship into bars. The idea is discussed over a pint of ale in the January 2007 issue of the St. Anthony Messenger.

  • The struggle between religion and politics has grown increasingly tense in recent years. Can the two coexist? Bette Novit Evans, a professor of political science at a Catholic institution, examines the question in the Winter 2006 issue of Creighton magazine<./a>. (pdf)

  • Can religion and science coexist? Canisius College pondered the issue in its spring 2005 magazine.

  • The Da Vinci Code garnered a lot of attention, but did it accurately portray one of its main characters—Mary Magdalene? Susan Calef, an assistant professor of theology at Creighton University, takes a look at the accuracy of her portrayal in the summer 2006 issue of Creighton magazine. (pdf)

  • The Da Vinci Code makes some rather unusual claims about Jesus. Who was he really? Daniel Harrington, S.J., a longtime professor of New Testament theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology and editor of New Testament Abstracts, takes a look at Jesus from an historical position in the June 2006 issue of the St. Anthony Messenger, with numerous links, including to Catholic News Service articles about The Da Vinci Code.

  • Is God a scientist? George Coyne, S.J., the director of the Vatican Observatory and adjuncy professor at the University of Arizona, examined the idea in the summer 2006 issue of Company magazine.

  • Are you a mystic? Possibly. Lawrence Cunningham, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, delves into the misunderstanding of the word and explains its meaning from the Christian perspective in an article in the summer 2006 issue of Notre Dame magazine.

  • Who is the greatest Catholic poet of our time? An article in the spring 2006 issue of Portland magazine offers an answer that may surprise you: Bruce Springsteen.

  • What challenges do Catholic universities face in teaching today? What should a Catholic university’s role be in teaching doctrines of the Church? Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., addresses the issues in an article in the winter 2006 issue of Boston College Magazine.

  • Three roommates at the University of Paris began their studies hoping to change their own intellectual and spiritual horizons. They ended up changing the world. Santa Clara Magazine explores the history of Francis Xavier, Peter Faber and Ignatius of Loyola.

  • What is the Church’s stance on war and peace? Todd Whitmore, a theology faculty member at the University of Notre Dame, addresses the issue in the winter 2006 issue of Boston College Magazine.

  • What is a woman’s role in the Church? Elizabeth Johnson, a distinguished professor of theology at Fordham University, writes on the subject in the summer 2004 issue of Boston College Magazine.

  • Is our belief in God in our genes? Or is it a cultural concept passed along through society? The author takes a look at what’s inside us in an article in the spring 2005 issue of Notre Dame Magazine.

  • How do Catholic universities balance academic freedom and Catholic values? The University of Notre Dame recently struggled with that issue. An article in the spring 2006 issue of Notre Dame Magazine addresses the challenge.

  • What happens when an atheist physicist examines Christianity? He’s not converted, but if he did convert he’d become a Catholic. Why? The author explains in an essay in the winter 2005 issue of Notre Dame Magazine.

  • What leads people back to the Church after they go astray? The author of the book, It's Not the Same Without You: Coming Home to the Catholic Church, explores the myriad reasons in an article in the spring 2004 issue of Notre Dame Magazine.

  • What is a nun? She’s no longer your stereotypical habit-wearing authoritarian, says the author of an article in the fall 2003 issue of Notre Dame Magazine. And she may be even more different in the future.

  • Where do Catholics fit into the American political realm? The subject was debated by a panel of political heavyweights at Boston College in February. Boston College Magazine reported on the debate in its spring 2006 issue.