A large number of Religious Orders administered and taught in Catholic elementary and secondary schools. This article examines their contributions to the Catholic formation and education of their students by their witness and curriculum. It discusses their contributions and the extent of them in the light of the provincial environment in which…

A recent global reconnaissance of Christian higher education found a number of key themes that shaped current developments, such as the pressing challenges of secularization and nationalization but also the advantages of privatization and massification. This article provides an update to this older analysis by taking a birds-eye view of trends…

The shortage of teachers who can strongly identify with the religious mission of Catholic schools is at the point of an "existential crisis," according to a system leader in Catholic schools in Western Canada. Drawing upon exploratory interviews completed with ten chief superintendents (who oversee large school districts), this paper…

This article explores the factors associated with support for a merger of Ontario's two publicly funded school systems (secular and Catholic). Drawing upon survey data from over 2,000 Ontarians, it investigates the sociodemographic and attitudinal correlates of opinions toward school system reform. We find evidence that both political attitudes…

This paper examines Catholic RE curriculum documents from 2 jurisdictions to assess how well they present Jews and Judaism. It finds that their representations of Jews and Judaism rely on structures of thought, reinforced by normative Catholicism, that enable the conditions to reproduce supersessionist thinking and attitudes. Its conclusion argues…

This article focuses on some of the broader complexities of citizenship in Quebec, paying particular attention to the Quiet Revolution and Bill 60 (Charter of Values) in order to understand how these historical events shape contemporary politics. Using a case study of the Ethics and Religious Culture Program (ERC) in Quebec, we seek to highlight…

In 2008 Quebec introduced a new ethics and religious culture course. This marks a significant development in Canadian education as the mandated curriculum is intended for use in publically funded secular schools. In the past such courses have been in the domain of denominational schools. This new approach is examined in the context of the profound…

Dialogue about Catholic identity has been taking place at American Catholic colleges and universities since the publication of Ex Corde Ecclesiae in 1990. That student affairs professionals do their work within the context of the mission of the university is a concept that has been accepted from the earliest stages of the establishment of student…

This article introduces the research initiated by Cardus on private religious Protestant and Catholic schools in North America and provides an overview of the succeeding articles presented in this special section of the "Journal of School Choice". Through mixed method study by multiple research teams the inquiry was designed to seek to…

A key concept in contemporary Catholic educational discourse makes a distinction between religious education and catechesis. This distinction is based on the assumptions of faith commitment on the part of catechesis and the focus on cognitive outcomes on the part of religious education. Many official documents on Canadian Catholic school…

In three Canadian provinces Catholic schools receive full government funding. This funding is premised on Catholic schools providing a distinctive educational environment based on the religious beliefs and practices of, among others, the teachers who work in these schools. A variety of official documents underline this notion of teachers playing…

This paper is a redaction of four panel presentations provided at the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities' 2007 Annual Meeting held in Washington D.C. The panelist-presenters were Dr. Gerald Killan, Ph.D., Principal, King's University College at The University of Western Ontario; Dr. Myroslaw Tataryn, Ph.D., President, St.…

Reports on research focusing on informal teaching strategies (modeling, coaching, networking, and continuous dialogue) that female pastors used in four rural Canadian Roman Catholic parishes where they led. Addresses factors that affected the pastors when choosing a teaching strategy. Considers the implications that surfaced for adult religious…

Analyzes and contrasts a number of Roman Catholic documents, published in the United States and foreign countries, emphasizing theological themes which are presented as central to adult religious education. Focuses on the tension between church authority and adult education principles. Concludes that the optimism of the documents is diminished by…

Flaws in the literature regarding the use of schools by German Roman Catholics in Western Canada as vehicles to perpetuate the German language and Catholic religion are pointed out and corrected. The educational system in St. Peter's colony was not uniform, as portrayed by many scholars, but pluralistic. Three types of schools were in use--two…