The Heart of Culture

By Habiger Institute for Catholic Leadership

Foreword by Michael J. Naughton | Afterword by Jonathan Reyes

The Heart of Culture is a succinct and substantive history of Western education and a profound witness to the necessity of maintaining tradition. The West is the product, not of geographic, ethnic, or political forces, but of a dynamic educational tradition. When that tradition breaks down, the culture suffers a crisis of identity. Today, the West is undergoing just such a crisis, as the perennial wisdom of its tradition is ignored, misrepresented, or outright rejected. This short book confronts that crisis, bringing to light the living, intricate educational tradition that built the West, from the Greek ideal of paideia to John Henry Newman’s idea of a university.

First developed for course use in the Catholic Studies program at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), The Heart of Culture provides a unifying perspective and a clear historical understanding of the lifeblood of Western culture, and is certain to aid teacher and student alike in the pursuit of excellence.

“This book offers, in tracing the history of the birth and renewal of the Christian educational tradition, a set of principles for that renewal.” (From the Afterword by Jonathan Reyes)

Habiger Institute for Catholic Leadership, housed in the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), provides Catholic students with leadership formation which goes beyond the development of skills to a more organic and collaborative model of Catholic leadership in the academy, in the Church, and in civil and professional life. In addition to assisting the formation of many young Catholic leaders, the Institute is a place of thoughtful analysis concerning what it means to be a Catholic leader in modern society.

Paperback: 148pp.

ISBN: 978-1950970599