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Toward a Renewed Catholic Communications Pedagogy

During the summer of 2019, the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life hosted a faculty symposium for international scholars on the topic of teaching media and communications in the digital environment. Not since the printing press or the advent of electricity has the Church had to consider such an epochal shift in social, cultural, and psychological sensibilities wrought by a new technology. Avoiding the ready temptation to either condemn or champion the new technologies, the goal of the symposium is to assist the Church and university in the work of recovering a Catholic understanding of the new cultural context and developing new curricula and pedagogies that aid Church leaders in the work of meaningful cultural engagement.

Videos of presentations from this gathering are available for viewing, below.

Schedule

Tuesday July 9

Welcome (John Cavadini)

9:00am: Introduction (Brett Robinson)

Institutions at the Forefront of Curricular Development

  • Anthony Monta, “Toward a Renewed Catholic Communications Curriculum,” Holy Cross College
  • Daniel Arasa, “Building Up From Knowledge, Experience and Community," Pontifical University of Santa Croce
  • Alba Sabaté Gauxachs, “Face to Face Religion: Blanquerna Observatory 5R Communication Model,” Blanquerna Observatory of Media, Religion and Culture, Ramon Llull University

Exploring the Relationship Between Form and Content

  • Fr. John Wauck, “Truths that Only a Story Can Tell,” Pontifical University of Santa Croce
  • Fr. Paul Soukup, SJ, “Faith Seeking Understanding: A Communication Tour,” Santa Clara University
  • Read Schuchardt, “The Oracle Will Hear You Now:  The Digital Future as Ancient Soothsayer,” Wheaton College

Wednesday July 10

Spiritual Formation and Freedom in the Digital Environment

  • James Poulos, “The Catholic Church in the Digital Context,” Executive Editor, The American Mind
  • Luis Vera, “Our First and Most Intimate Medium: Why Catholics Should See Media As Memory Technologies,” Mount Saint Mary’s University
  • Nadia Delicata, “A Theology for the Bodiless: A Prolegomenon to Catholic Sacramental Formation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” University of Malta

Theological, Rhetorical and Critical Literacies

  • Daniella Zsupan Jerome, “Pneumatological Pedagogy for Ministerial Formation in Digital Culture,” Loyola University New Orleans
  • John Jasso, “The Prodigal Returns: Reclaiming Rhetoric as an Art for Catholic Communications,” Ave Maria University

Thursday July 11

From Public Relations to Proclamation

  • Fr. Jordi Pujol, “Journalism and the Church: From Enemies to Allies,” Pontifical University of Santa Croce
  • Dennis Cali, “Homiletics for the Digital Age,” University of Texas at Tyler
  • Craig Maier, “One Body, Blessed and Broken: Catholic Professional Communication Pedagogy in a Time of Fragmentation,” Duquesne University