An "Inevitable" Campus Controversy: The "Heresy Affair" at the University of Dayton, 1960-1967
In November 1966, an America editorial stated that "in an age like ours . . . it is inevitable that doctrinal controversies — some of them violent — should break out on various campuses." This paper examines the controversy that precipitated those editorial remarks. The "Heresy Affair...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2002
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| In: |
American catholic studies
Year: 2002, Volume: 113, Issue: 1/2, Pages: 79-95 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In November 1966, an America editorial stated that "in an age like ours . . . it is inevitable that doctrinal controversies — some of them violent — should break out on various campuses." This paper examines the controversy that precipitated those editorial remarks. The "Heresy Affair" at the University of Dayton, a series of events predominantly in the philosophy department, occurred when tensions between the neo-Thomists and proponents of new philosophies reached crisis stage in fall 1966, culminating in a letter written by an assistant professor at Dayton to the Cincinnati archbishop, Karl J. Alter. In the letter, the professor cited a number of instances where "erroneous teachings" were "endorsed" or "openly advocated" by four faculty members. Concerned about the pastoral impact on the University of Dayton community, the professor asked the archbishop to conduct an investigation. This study provides an historical narrative of the crisis and explores the theological, philosophical, and educational assumptions that underlie and are expressed in the positions espoused in the "Heresy Affair." Future research will examine the "Affair" in greater depth and explore its contemporary relevance to American Catholic higher education. |
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| ISSN: | 2161-8534 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: American catholic studies
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