Ryan N. S. Topping - The Case for Catholic Education: Why Parents, Teachers, and Politicians Should Reclaim the Principles of Catholic Pedagogy

The Case for

Catholic Education

Ryan N.S. Topping

The Case for
Catholic Education

Why Parents, Teachers, and Politicians
Should Reclaim the Principles
of Catholic Pedagogy

First published in the USA

by Angelico Press

Ryan N.S. Topping 2015

Foreword Sr. John Mary Fleming, O.P. 2015

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted,

in any form or by any means, without permission.

For information, address:

Angelico Press

4709 Briar Knoll Dr.

Kettering, OH 45429

www.angelicopress.com

ISBN 978-1-62138-145-7 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-62138-146-4 (ebook)

Cover Image:

Children of the Sea, Josef Israls, Dutch, 1872

Oil on Canvas (courtesy of the Rijks Museum, Amsterdam)

Cover Design: Michael Schrauzer

CONTENTS

Further Praise for
The Case for Catholic Education

Ryan Topping is one of todays most exciting and dynamic writers. In his latest book he tackles the crucial subject of education with a delightful lucidity which is both engaged and engaging. This is an accessible and eminently readable book on a topic which no Catholic can afford to ignore.

Joseph Pearce, author of Literary Converts and Director of the Center for Faith and Culture, Aquinas College, Nashville, TN

Dr. Ryan Topping has once again given us a wise and witty, while also intellectually probing, study of contemporary Catholic Education. The Case for Catholic Education will surely play a vital role in reinvigorating the handing-on of essential Catholic truthstruths which still remain in danger of being obscured by contemporary revisionist works. As a Dominican, I appreciate Toppings Thomistic approach and the fact that he infuses his insights with a compelling spirit of personalism befitting the abiding dignity of the human person as another Christ.

Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P., Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Ann Arbor, MI

This short book contains an astonishing wealth of insights and practical suggestions. It is grounded in a deep knowledge of the philosophical and historical dimensions of the topic, and while its style is lively and outspoken, it invites quiet reflection and further study. In fact it contains a series of discussion questions and resources for further reading as appendices. The tone is one of urgency, but also of hope and confidence. You will profit by reading and thinking about this work.

Dr. Keith Cassidy, President of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, Barrys Bay, ON, Canada

Ryan Topping has written an engaging and coherent analysis of the state of Catholic education in North America, which will be useful for teachers in Britain, too. Crucially, he does more than identify the pathologies; he recommends a variety of remedies, drawing on the wisdom of educators both ancient and modern.

Dr. Paul Shrimpton, Magdalen College School, Oxford, UK, author of The Making of Men: the Idea and reality of Newmans university in Oxford and Dublin

As late-born heirs to the tradition of Catholic education, we receive from Ryan Topping an insightful view of our threatened patrimony and a framed vision for what educating and forming our children may still yet become.

Dr. Jason Fugikawa, Dean of Academics and Faculty, Holy Family Academy, Manchester, NH

The Case for Catholic Education draws on the educational insights of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Maritain, Adler and John Senior, inter alia, and includes sound advice in regards to the teaching of Good Books and then Great Books in the high school years, and for including Christ throughout an education, without whom schools become like concrete bunkers with no windows.

Patrick S.J. Carmack, Founder of the Angelicum Academy and the Great Books Academy homeschool programs and Executive Director of the Adler-Aquinas Institute, Colorado Springs, CO

Topping makes statistical study, cultural and historical analysis, and pedagogical philosophy come alive with piercing insight, profound wisdom, both actual and parabolic anecdotes, and nearly Chestertonian witticisms. It is impossible to read this book without feeling stirred to the joyand the workof better educating our young people.

Patrick Conley, Director of Faith Formation, Cathedral of St. Paul, MN

In his latest offering, Ryan Topping presents a lucid and lively exploration of the foundations of a true Catholic education. Thoroughly researched and completely accessible, The Case for Catholic Education is an engaging and compelling read for anyone interested in the state of Catholic education and the renewal of Catholic culture.

Veronica Burchard, Vice President for Education Programs, Sophia Institute for Teachers, Bedford, NH

In The Case for Catholic Education Ryan Topping strikes that rarest balance between erudition and clarity. He neither shies away from challenges nor falls prey to despair; rather, he presents a positive vision and practical suggestions in an eminently engaging way. Every Catholic educator and school administer should read and re-read this fine book.

Dr. Jason West, President and Academic Dean, Newman Theological College, Edmonton, AB, Canada

The whole art of education comes down to opening windows of wonder. In our day, those windows have been boarded up and forgotten. Dr. Toppings incisive book tears down the shutters, reminding the benighted that there are, indeed, windows and that they are in need of opening. This little book brings hands to the sills. May they be thrown open wide once more.

Sean Fitzpatrick, Headmaster, St. Gregory the Great Academy, Scranton, PA

Dr. Topping reminds us that the purpose of education is not merely to fill minds with facts, but rather to informand transformlives with truth. This engaging book combines incisive appraisal and exposition with inspiring encouragement and exhortation. As a wise pedagogue, Dr. Topping does more than explain why happiness and freedom infallibly accompany a life devoted to the truthhe outlines how such a life is learned and lived.

Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., Dominican Province of St. Joseph, New York, NY

Praise for Dr. Toppings companion book on Catholic education, Renewing the Mind: A Reader in the Philosophy of Catholic Education (Catholic University of America Press, 2015 ):

Dr. Toppings anthology of classical and Christian writings on the first principles of education will serve to advance this muchneeded reflection on the identity of Catholic schools and universities....

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, Vatican City

Ryan Toppings The Case for Catholic Education sets out to renew interest in the liberal arts through a clear understanding of the aims of a Catholic education. At first glance, what constitutes the essence of Catholic pedagogy may seem mysterious to parents, teachers, policymakers, and even pastors themselves. However, a deep understanding of the theology, philosophical groundings, and aims of a Catholic education offers the first steps to a truly transforming and life-giving pedagogy.

Topping opens with a history of the crisis in Catholic education. His story focuses on the Enlightenments turn to progress, technology, and self-fulfillment wrongly understood. With clarity and boldness, Topping argues that much of modern education is a product of bad philosophy. Understanding where education has gone wrong is, of course, crucial to setting matters right. Toppings presentation and explanation of statistical and sociological research help to show that often the modern educational process has failed to shape and form the human person, whose aim includes union with God and eternal life. Whether one is a parent, teacher, or policymaker, knowing how Catholic schools have impacted social and moral behavior in the past versus in the present shows that there is work to be done in the field of Catholic identity. At the same time, Topping points to particular instances of growth and renewal in Catholic education in both Canada and the United States.