Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe

In considering issues of public and global importance, social scientists are coming to an increasing recognition of the importance of religious belief in motivating particular attitudes and actions. If one of the tasks of academe is to articulate those values that are important in the public sphere...

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Main Author: Celia Deane-Drummond
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UCL Press 2007-06-01
Series:London Review of Education
Online Access:https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/14748460701440947
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author Celia Deane-Drummond
author_facet Celia Deane-Drummond
author_sort Celia Deane-Drummond
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description In considering issues of public and global importance, social scientists are coming to an increasing recognition of the importance of religious belief in motivating particular attitudes and actions. If one of the tasks of academe is to articulate those values that are important in the public sphere, it must necessarily include careful discussion of the religious dimension of human existence. This paper addresses the issue of what a theological vision of wisdom might look like and its relevance in serving the public good in the context of a university. John Henry Newman's The idea of a university , proposed in the nineteenth century, gives some insights into what wisdom informed by theology might look like when applied to higher education. Prudence, or practical wisdom, as found in the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas offers a mediating strategy between philosophical and theological approaches to wisdom. An argument will be put forward for a recovery of prudence as relevant for shaping the ethos of universities. In this, universities can also serve the public good and promote human welfare in contested areas such as environmental decision-making or new reproductive technologies.
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spelling doaj.art-3762c956e2e5498da069032f9beb2da72023-02-23T11:19:34ZengUCL PressLondon Review of Education1474-84601474-84792007-06-01517318410.1080/14748460701440947Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academeCelia Deane-DrummondIn considering issues of public and global importance, social scientists are coming to an increasing recognition of the importance of religious belief in motivating particular attitudes and actions. If one of the tasks of academe is to articulate those values that are important in the public sphere, it must necessarily include careful discussion of the religious dimension of human existence. This paper addresses the issue of what a theological vision of wisdom might look like and its relevance in serving the public good in the context of a university. John Henry Newman's The idea of a university , proposed in the nineteenth century, gives some insights into what wisdom informed by theology might look like when applied to higher education. Prudence, or practical wisdom, as found in the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas offers a mediating strategy between philosophical and theological approaches to wisdom. An argument will be put forward for a recovery of prudence as relevant for shaping the ethos of universities. In this, universities can also serve the public good and promote human welfare in contested areas such as environmental decision-making or new reproductive technologies.https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/14748460701440947
spellingShingle Celia Deane-Drummond
Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe
London Review of Education
title Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe
title_full Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe
title_fullStr Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe
title_full_unstemmed Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe
title_short Wisdom remembered: recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe
title_sort wisdom remembered recovering a theological vision of wisdom for the academe
url https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.1080/14748460701440947
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