Combing the Tradition: Catholic Schools in the Era of Baptismal Consciousness

This is a sketchbook of the twin realities of Catholic faith and Catholic schools. A theological vision of the Catholic religious imagination provides the framework for viewing these realities from different angles. Taking Pope Benedict XVI's remark that 'truth is in the Whole, ' this book looks at Catholic faith and education from the rich perspective of the sacramental or Catholic imagination. Historian John Tracy Ellis's conviction that this age will be known as 'the era of baptismal consciousness, ' reflects a growing awareness in the entire Christian community that it must take its responsibilities in evangelization seriously. Combing the Tradition is an attempt to comb the Catholic tradition from the point of view of this re-emerging baptismal consciousness. It marvels at the role that Catholic schools, teachers, parents, and students play in recreating this great truth. It finds God's loving hand at work in the lives of citizens seeking meaning at Ground Zero, in the re-emerging theology of the domestic church, and in understanding the task of Catholic education. It raises questions concerning the impact of consumer society on the lives of our young people and finds hope in schools, which continue to shape the religious imaginations of the next generation of a community of disciples.