This article, written by a student of curriculum history, has attempted to provide a framework for understanding the context of Catholic Studies within the framework of the education curriculum of higher education. In the articles that follow, Father James Heft outlines the development and debate surrounding Catholic Studies programs, the value of these programs in Catholic higher education, and the challenges these programs face. Dr. Don Briel, director of one of the largest Catholic Studies programs in the country, responds to some of these criticisms and challenges by outlining the work done at the Center for Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas. This provides the reader with an opportunity to hear and engage with how the Catholic intellectual tradition is being passed on to the next generation.