St. Edward’s University, though a Catholic Holy Cross institution, has never offered a major that specifically focuses on its history and heritage—until now.

In fall 2010, Catholic studies will be available as a major for students, promising them a comprehensive study of the religion that founded the university.

“There are lots of good classes here that talk about Catholicism — some in philosophy, religion, even English literature — but we wanted all of those combined to bring to students an interdisciplinary understanding of it,” said Steve Rodenborn, a religious studies professor involved in creating the major.

Interest from both faculty and students in having a major that focuses exclusively on Catholicism led Rodenborn to work with Fr. Lou Brusatti, dean of the School of Humanities, and Ed Shirley, another professor and the area coordinator of religious studies, to create the Catholic studies major last semester.

At first, their proposal contained classes that didn’t exist in the Catholic studies programs of other universities.

“We had to tweak [the proposal] to make it more realistic,” Shirley said.

Catholic studies as a major will offer three new classes: Catholic Intellectual Life, Catholic Intellectual Heritage, and Faith and Reason. The rest of the classes comprising the major are already offered at St. Edward’s.

Catholic Intellectual Life, considered the introduction to the major, will examine the sacramental imagination. Catholic Intellectual Heritage, an upper-level class, looks at Catholicism from a historical perspective and will cover different themes each semester. Faith and Reason will be taught by a philosophy professor who is not Catholic.

These classes, in addition to other classes taken from religious studies and philosophy, will form the core classes of the new major. The electives may come from any subject, as long as they pertain to Catholicism in some way.

This range means that students are able to approach Catholicism from all angles. They will apply critical thinking skills, which is in keeping with the mission of this university, Rodenborn said.

Shirley echoed Rodenborn’s sentiments.

“As a liberal arts school, we don’t teach you a particular skill like ITT Tech does,” said Shirley. “We’re here to help you to learn to think. Catholic studies does that.”

Rodenborn and Shirley are hoping that the major will continue attracting the interest of faculty and students.

Shirley said there’s a chance that it will. Some religious studies majors may switch to Catholic studies now that they have the choice to focus on one religion exclusively.

At least one student indicated that this possibility may happen.

“I feel like I have a calling to do Catholic studies because I want to be a youth minister for Catholic youth,” freshman Mary McNamara said.

McNamara is currently double-majoring in communication and religious studies. She is debating a transfer from religious studies to Catholic studies, preferring the focus on one religion that Shirley teaches.

Catholic studies arrives on the tails of new additions to the Humanities department, including the Jewish studies minor, which was implemented in fall 2009.

Catholic studies was not created to fill in a gap in the religious studies curriculum. Rather, Rodenborn said the major is intended to complement what already exists and to enrich student interest in the religion of St. Edward’s.

“Catholic studies gives you a little of this, a little of that,” Shirley said. “Its interdisciplinary nature follows the Catholic and liberal arts tradition of the school.”