​“Catholicism and the Liberal Arts, from Newman to Nouwen: Insights from the John M. Kelly Library and Archives,” is a multiple-year undergraduate research initiative at the University of St. Michael`s College. This project responds to the crises facing the Catholic university, crises relating to the broader corporatization of the modern ‘multiversity’ and its consequences which include the commodification of students and faculty, the professionalization of post-secondary education, the erosion of the Humanities and Liberal Arts, and the perceived attenuation of the universities’ Catholic character and mission. This project focuses on material drawn from the archives of the public intellectual Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian novelist Sheila Watson and the Dutch expatriate and spiritual writer Henri M. Nouwen. This website provides a window into that research in order to introduce eschatological hope as a fruitful entry point for thinking about how the Catholic university can better meet the challenges of contemporary times. 

Meet the researchers:

Andrea Nicole Carandang

Andrea Nicole Carandang is in her final year of the Concurrent Teaching Education Program, pursuing a major in Christianity and Culture and minors in History and Indigenous Studies, at the University of St. Michael’s College. Her research interests include Indigenous-Christian relations and theologies of race. She contributed to the summaries and research on Newman.

Emily Sherlock

Emily Sherlock graduated from the University of Toronto in 2016.  She contributed summaries and other material on Henri Nouwen.

Emma Graham 

Emma Graham is in her second year of the Master of Divinity program at the Faculty of Theology, University of St. Michael's College. She is also serving the St. Mike's Community as the Student Life Associate, running the Orientation, Student Government, Mentorship, and Commuter Don programs on campus. She has enjoyed assisting in the process of website developing for this project, as well as creating abstracts for specific works, and editing the site for publication.

Hugo Tang

Hugo Tang is in the final semester of the Master of Theological Studies at the University of St. Michael’s College. A student of Christianity & Culture, Political Science, and French in his undergraduate studies at St. Mike’s, he is particularly grateful to Prof. Locklin for the opportunity to integrate those subjects in studying Prof. Étienne Gilson’s archival material. He contributed to the summaries and research on Gilson.  

Marissa Muscado 

Marissa Muscado is a teacher at Cloverdale Catholic School in British Columbia. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education. Building on her work at L'Arche Homefires, she contributed to the summaries and research on Vanier.

Natalie Doummar

Natalie Doummar will complete her Masters of Theological Studies through the Faculty of Theology at the University of St. Michael's College in April 2020. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Christianity & Culture and English from the University of St. Michael's College, and a Bachelor of Education from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education. She is passionate about Catholic Social Teaching, working with youth, and talking about God. She thanks Reid for all he has done to enrich her learning experience over the years. She contributed to the summaries and research on Chesterton
 

natasha milavec 

Natasha Milavec graduated from the University of St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto in 2016 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts. She is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. ​
 

Sinead Dunphy 

Sinead recently graduated from the University Toronto in 2017 with a Honours Bachelor of Science, having studied Environment and Health, English and Women and Gender Studies. She first became involved in this research project in 2015.  She contributed the summaries on Marshall McLuhan and Sheila Watson, as well as preparing a bibliographic survey of the materials in "the conversation."

virginia Mervar 

Virginia-Ann Mervar is in her final year completing her Bachelor of Education with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Christianity and Culture and minors in English and Philosophy. She enjoyed researching and connecting G.K. Chesterton’s views on Philosophy and Education and with much grace and coffee, she hopes to pursue studies in Theology after graduating in June, 2018.  She contributed to the summaries and research on Chesterton.