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Proxy End-Of-Life Decision-Making: Ethical, Religious And Existential Dimensions, Deborah Kaufman Giordano

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

End-of-life decision-making conducted by medical proxies on behalf of incapacitated loved ones presents profound theological, ethical, and existential challenges. In the qualitative study “Influence of Culture and Spiritual Tradition on Support for Families of Children Dying in Intensive Care Units” (Journal of Pediatric Nursing), Ju et al found that the most painful moment for parents and proxies was not the death itself, but the agonizing decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment. As a hospital chaplain, I have witnessed these moments where faith, culture, and medical ethics collide. This paper argues that proxy decision-making cannot be understood solely through the lens of …

Evolving Ontology And The Case Against Predictive Algorithms In The U.S. Justice System, Eryn Reyes Leong

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

In the United States today, predictive algorithms, a particular form of artificial intelligence (AI), permeate all segments of society, including the criminal justice system. With the help of AI, judges are able to “plug” defendants into algorithms and generate outputs that produce a deterministic and homogenous view of defendants. Proponents of predictive algorithms cite accuracy, neutrality, fairness, and efficiency, but what is missing from their calculus is the human person, the central figure who shapes and is shaped by algorithms. Using the story of defendant Darnell Gates as a case study, this article seeks to contribute to the development of …

Evolving Ontology And The Case Against Predictive Algorithms In The U.S. Justice System, Eryn Reyes Leong

Graduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

More Than Money: Holistic Outcomes Of Catholic Higher Education, Jason King

Journal of Catholic Education

In an era dominated by financial metrics and return-on-investment rhetoric, this study offers a counternarrative by examining the holistic outcomes of Catholic higher education. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 2,000 college graduates, it compares alumni of Catholic and secular institutions across three domains: life satisfaction and personal fulfillment; civic engagement and community involvement; and ethical development. The findings reveal that graduates of Catholic colleges report higher life satisfaction, greater civic participation, and a stronger ethical orientation than their secular peers—patterns that persist across demographic subgroups. While Catholic colleges perform well on traditional financial indicators, their distinctive value lies …

Catholic School Teaching As Participation In The Common Good, John L. Beltramo

Journal of Catholic Education

Increasing rates of teacher attrition have exacerbated the shortage of teachers in regions of the United States. In response, some scholars have proposed initiatives that promote the professionalization of teaching, hoping to attract and retain new teachers through greater classroom autonomy and stronger professional development. Others have advocated for a vision of teaching as a vocation, through which teachers can find deeper meaning and thereby better tolerate challenging working conditions. While both conceptualizations of teaching hold compelling implications for the field, their lack of grounding in a broader conception of community ultimately limit the extent to which they can respond …

Using A Historical Approach To Teach Social Justice: A Classroom Model, Mary L. Troy, Timothy Powers, Emily Lee Chong

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Social Justice epitomizes the Ignatian ideal of “men and women for others”. Utilizing Ignatian pedagogy, faculty at Jesuit colleges and universities can help students explore and understand the link between historical events and current social justice issues. This article demonstrates and applies a six-step model of utilizing history as a tool for social justice. The model can be adapted for any field of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Mary Magdalene: The Fragmented Woman, Lucy Durben

Undergraduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Forming The Conscience Of Young Vietnamese, Thien Duc Vu

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Many current theories (e.g., individualism, materialism, relativism, etc.) exalt individual freedom as an absolute. They ignore the voice of universal truth as a principle of conscience and instead place conscience underneath individual choice. The concept of individual freedom in this way is influencing the conscience of many young Vietnam people to make decisions that destroy and jeopardize moral human life (e.g., abortion, transgender, same-sex marriage, murder, etc.). Educating young people to see themselves as God’s children by forming their conscience is an urgent obligation for the Vietnamese Catholic Church. Thus, my PSP is to follow past practices of the Church’s …

The First Jesuits And The First Jesuit Universities, Paul Grendler

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

John W. O’Malley S. J. in The First Jesuits described well the basic principles of the Jesuit educational ministry that shapeed Jesuit schools and universities. He did not discuss what constituted a Jesuit university because that was not the purpose of the book. After assessing the major contributions that O’Malley made to define the principles of Jesuit education, this article will pick up where O’Malley left off by describing the first Jesuit universities. There was not a single model of a Jesuit university. Instead, the Jesuits taught in four kinds of universities: the all-Jesuit university, the civic-Jesuit collegiate university, the …

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual (Lgbt) U.S. Latinx Catholics And The U.S. Catholic Church: A Critique Of Certain Aspects Of Roman Catholic Moral Teaching In Light Of A Latinx Theological Anthropology, Leonardo Daniel Mendoza

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This Capstone Research Project aims to address the certain aspects of Roman Catholic moral teaching. Throughout this project I argue that when it comes to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Queer (LGBTQ+) Catholics, the moral teaching is essentially corrupt. This paper begins by providing an overview of current Catholic teaching relevant to LGBTQ+ persons. In the second section I focus on the lived experience on the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in the United States to demonstrate several flaws in Catholic moral tradition. I place a special emphasis on the Latinx LGBTQ+ community in Florida as I base my argument on …

Integral Conversion: A Catholic Pedagogical Framework For Teaching Environmental Sustainability And Ecological Citizenship From Japan, Michael R. Polito

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

As Vatican efforts expand to move awareness of environmental sustainability from the peripheries to the center of public consciousness, Catholic schools face the challenge of instilling in the next generation of graduates a distinctly Catholic sense of ecological citizenship. To this end, Catholic educators are faced with the challenge of presenting complex environmental problems in a manner that honors both the data of science and the transcendental worldview the Church proclaims. This paper offers a framework for examining environmental sustainability issues in the classroom from the perspective of Catholic social teaching. The author’s professional context of teaching Catholic social ethics …

A Cord Of Many Strands: A Case Study Of Inclusive Practice Within The Archdiocese Of Los Angeles, Patrick James Allison

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The foundational philosophy of Catholic schools impels them toward inclusive practice. Scholars have repeatedly established that a moral mandate exists in Catholic Social Teaching for Catholic schools to include all students. However, students with disabilities have traditionally been excluded from Catholic school settings due perceived resource constraints, lack of practitioner skill, and the disposition that students with disabilities are better served in public schools. Many Catholic schools have made tremendous progress in inclusive practice, and stand at the forefront of this work, but these efforts have not been replicated at scale.

The purpose of this study was to explore how …

Thomas Aquinas On Gratitude To God, Christopher Kaczor

Philosophy Faculty Works

Discussions of gratitude to God characteristically presuppose some philosophical or theological framework. This philosophical and theological exploration of gratitude to God examines the topic in light of the thought of Thomas Aquinas. Unlike some treatments of Aquinas’ account of gratitude, I draw extensively on Aquinas’ commentaries on Scripture as well as lesser known works, such as his sermons, to illuminate these topics rather than exclusively relying on the Summa theologiae. In the first part of this article, I focus on how Aquinas understands the virtue of gratitude to God. In the second part, I examine his account of ingratitude to …

Social Reconstruction: American Catholics Radical Response To The Social Gospel Movement And Progressives., Paul Lubienecki, Phd

Journal of Catholic Education

At the fin de siècle the Industrial Revolution created egregious physical, emotional and spiritual conditions for American society and especially for the worker but who would come forward to alleviate those conditions? Protestants implemented their Social Gospel Movement as a proposed cure to these problems. Secular Progressives engaged in a more activist role both materially and through legislation. Both of these groups had limited successes with disappointing outcomes. America’s Catholics, more accustomed to living and working in industrialized neighborhoods, eventually developed their own programs and agenda to address social and labor concerns. However some scholars believed that Catholic efforts merely …

Care For Our Common Home In Jesuit Higher Education: A Study Of The School Of Environmental Sustainability At Loyola University Chicago, Michael Polito

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Environmental sustainability has become a critical issue for Catholic commitment to the common good in the twenty-first century. Both the Vatican and the Society of Jesus have spoken with urgency concerning the great educational challenges of forming new convictions and lifestyles in this regard. This paper chronicles the development of environmental sustainability initiatives at Loyola University Chicago within the context of institutional reforms from 2001 to the present. A consideration of these initiatives and environmental sustainability as both a set of operational and academic practices is undertaken with respect to social ethics in Catholic Jesuit higher education from the perspective …

Getting Beyond "Why": A Reflection On "To Act With Justice And Love Tenderly: Exploring The Church's Call For Inclusion", Janice L. Benton

Journal of Catholic Education

Response to Boyle (this issue) "To Act with Justice and Love Tenderly: Exploring the Church's Call for Inclusion."

To Act With Justice And Love Tenderly: Exploring The Church’S Call For Inclusion, Michael J. Boyle

Journal of Catholic Education

This paper explores some of the documents that provide a foundation for the Church and its ministries to deliver justice and mercy to all, including students with disabilities. First, Catholic Social Teaching (CST) traditions will be presented as the foundation to some of the documents of the American Church. A chronology of the documents of United States bishops will trace the flow of CST as the impetus for designing and delivering programs for students with disabilities in Catholic schools. Implications for Catholic schools are outlined for next steps for implementation.

Phenomenal Women: Experiences Of Women In Executive Catholic Educational Leadership In The United States, Fatima Ann Samson Nicdao

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Though women are overrepresented in education as classroom teachers, they continue to be underrepresented in decision-making leadership positions in education administration (Bynum, 2016; Coleman, 2003; Fuller, 2013; Grogan & Shakeshaft, 2011; Moorosi, 2018; Robinson et al., 2017; Torrance et al., 2017). The cause of the low representation of women in decision making has been attributed to a wide range of reasons spanning from ingrained patriarchal mindsets, societal biases, lack of professional networks, misconceptions of women in leadership, and the lack of leadership opportunities.

Other causes of gender inequality in educational leadership are linked to a lack of a systematic mentorship …

Commentary, Martin Connell S.J.

Journal of Catholic Education

Commentary on the special issue

Examining The Relationship Between Educational Technology And Morality: A Case Study Of An American Catholic Middle School, Joe Daccache

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The growing interest in educational technology is matched by a corresponding increase in concern about its effects on children and adolescents. With demand for implementing technology on one hand, and the moral consequences that could result from it on the other hand, integrating a one-to-one computing program (1:1 program) in Catholic schools remains a subject in need of more thorough study. This study sought to examine the various advantages, challenges, and ethical questions related to implementing the 1:1 program in a Catholic middle school. While several studies demonstrate the positive impact of 1:1 program on students’ engagement and academic achievement, …

Ignatian Pedagogy For Sustainability To Support Community-Based Projects: Client-Focused Sustainable Energy Solutions, Andrew Baruth

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Seeing the words of Laudato Si’ as a call to action, we are engaging students in Ignatian Pedagogy for Sustainability through a series of community-based projects with the goal of client-focused sustainable energy solutions and associated dialogue. We outline the development of a purpose-created Energy Technology undergraduate program housed in the College of Arts and Sciences at Creighton University, born from Ignatian Sensibilities, and highlight the role of client engagement to engross students in a client-focused design process to deliver sustainable energy initiatives that become practically feasible with student leadership. For the senior capstone of this program, students engage in …

Assisted Death: Historical, Moral And Theological Perspectives Of End Of Life Options, Catherine Bando

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The paper explores historical positions on suicide and philosophical, theological, and moral positions on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. In 1900, most people died from infectious diseases, which have relatively short periods of morbid decline. With advances in the biomedical sciences, people are living longer, and most people die from chronic diseases, which are usually accompanied by prolonged periods of morbid decline. In addition to living longer, people today are generally more individualist and seek methods to control many aspects of life. While assisted death is rarely used, it represents a means to control end-of-life suffering. The paper demonstrates that there …

2017 Graduate Theological Studies Journal And Newsletter

Graduate Theological Studies Journal and Newsletter

Graduate Theological Studies is published by the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA.

Forming Catholic School Principals As Leaders Of The New Evangelization, David D. Spesia

Journal of Catholic Education

Pope Francis’ call for a missionary transformation of the Church has radical implications for Catholic schools and their educational leaders. The Church expects her elementary school principals to serve not only as instructional leaders and ecclesial ministers, but also as agents of the New Evangelization. Given this focus on the New Evangelization as a fundamental conceptual framework for the mission of Catholic schools, it is essential to understand the roots and foundations of this vision as it pertains to the unique role played by Catholic school principals. This article also highlights insights from leading Catholic evangelizers and concludes with recommendations …

Human Capacities And The Problem Of Universally Equal Dignity: Two Philosophical Test Cases And A Theistic Response, Matthew R. Petrusek

Theological Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Usccb Curriculum Framework: Origins, Questions, And A Call For Research, Carrie J. Schroeder

Journal of Catholic Education

The promulgation of Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November, 2007, represented a milestone in the efforts of the U.S. bishops to monitor and shape the Religious Studies curricula of U.S. Catholic secondary schools. This article contextualizes the Framework, providing comprehensive information about its origins. With the release of the English translation of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1994, the U.S. bishops launched a full-scale effort to address what they perceived to be …

The Catholic Church As A Cultivator Of Conscience: Toward Empowering Students To Be Agents Of The Maturation And Formation Of Their Consciences, Patrick O'Kernick

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Many Catholic students at Jesuit institutions of higher education will face a crisis in which Catholic identity seems to stand in the way of personal moral growth. The superego-ish conscience of the young adult struggles to mature as she undergoes experiences of expanding social horizons, cognitive-emotive depth, and personal agency. As this maturation begins, Catholic identity often seems to be moral deadweight—to the young adult—as the church seems to be a hopelessly compromised institution pontificating all too often the wrong values without credible foundation. This experience finds support in a popular trope today—advanced in an organized way by groups like …

Philosophy And Theology: End Of Life Questions, Christopher Kaczor

Philosophy Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Living A Holistic And Integrated Life: Ignatian Spirituality And Conscience In The Public Sphere, Josephine Narciso Sioson

LMU Theses and Dissertations

At the core of the human being is a longing to live a meaningful and integrated life. In an effort to understand what the integrated life entails, this thesis compares theological, legal, and spiritual sources in order to understand the practical human faculty known as the conscience. The interdisciplinary dialogue is significant because it takes into account the multiple facets of conscience and how it relates to decision-making. The comparison between these different sources reveals the necessary balancing between an individual’s internal and external worlds. This thesis also demonstrates the inherent relationality of the human being and the importance of …

Fidelity, Conscience, And Dissent: Engaging The Lcwr And Charles Curran On The Issue Of Dissent In A Roman Catholic Context, Dennis Albert Pangindian

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This thesis critically examines the cases of Vatican intervention with the Leadership Conference for Women Religious (LCWR) and Charles Curran to explore the question of whether legitimate dissent is possible as an act of conscience. The Doctrinal Assessment of the Leadership Conference for Women Religious released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, as well as the exchange between Sr. Pat Farrell, then-president of the LCWR, and Bishop Blair, the one who conducted the investigation on the LCWR, on “Fresh Air,” a radio show on National Public Radio raise questions about how the Church is to understand truth, obedience, …