The distinctive approach of the SUBSTANTIALLY CATHOLIC summer seminars is defined by two components: the focus on individual academic disciplines and the desire to reach both faculty members teaching at Catholic colleges or universities and those in all other colleges and universities who are interested in the Catholic intellectual tradition.

SUBSTANTIALLY CATHOLIC seminars take a thematic approach in considering the Catholic intellectual contribution in particular academic disciplines.  English literature and philosophy/psychology are the featured disciplines for the 2009 SUBSTANTIALLY CATHOLIC seminar.  Participation is open to all faculty members seeking to enhance their knowledge of Catholic content and approaches in any of these fields.  The numbers of participants in each of the disciplinary tracks will be limited in size to assure that presenters are accessible to the participants.    

The SUBSTANTIALLY CATHOLIC seminar has a distinctive and decidedly practical goal – to help faculty members integrate the Catholic material presented at the seminar into their teaching repertoire in the immediately following academic year.  Sessions are designed with this goal in mind.  For some faculty this might mean introducing a new topic in a course in Literature or  in Philosophy/Psychology.  For others it would mean enhancing the depth and scope of Catholic topics they already address.    Presenters will emphasize how to engage Catholic content in undergraduate courses generally.  They will also explore particular ways in which they have engaged these topics and themes in the courses they regularly teach. 

The SUBSTANTIALLY CATHOLIC seminar is also distinctive in terms of the breadth of its appeal. Certainly faculty at Catholic colleges and universities will find the program appealing.  However, the seminar is designed to be useful for all faculty members interested in the intersection of the Catholic intellectual tradition and the academic areas of literature and philosophy/psychology.  Therefore, faculty from colleges and universities affiliated with other religious traditions, as well as their colleagues at non-sectarian institutions, are encouraged to attend.   They, too, will find the SUBSTANTIALLY CATHOLIC seminar satisfying and engaging.