Archives: Newsletter Post

I feel chastened by the world… Nick Cave Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard Devotional (2023) is an eloquently spare and finely observed novel about a middle aged woman’s quest to make sense of her life and the world around her. The Booker Prize short listed novel, framed as a journal, begins as the main character is retreating from her […]

In this essay, Erhardt Graeff, considers how to sustain hope and a desire to impact the common good among his engineering students. He begins, “My undergraduates at Olin College of Engineering want to make a positive impact. They see engineering as a career path to building a better world. Their initial theories of change are […]

At Belmont University, the effort to form students of purpose, wisdom, and strong character isn’t an abstract ideal—it’s a lived, campus-wide commitment. Through the Formation Collaborative, Belmont is strategically embedding character formation and whole-person development into every dimension of university life, from academic curriculum and staff leadership to student experiences and institutional culture. To be […]

The recent publication, Virtue in Virtual Spaces (2024), makes a bold proposition. Authors Louisa Conwill, Megan Levis and Walter Scheirer argue that Catholic Social Tradition offers a road map for reimagining the internet as a force for good in the world. Focusing on social technologies (the internet) and dedicated to the patron saints of the […]

In this essay, James Arthur, the former Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, reflects on civic virtues and higher education. He writes, “The value of higher education should surely be seen in the lives of university students—not only in what they do or which professions they go into, but in what they […]

How do you cultivate ethical values and commitments within nursing at a large public university where the students often differ in religious, ethnic, political and socio-economic backgrounds? Leanne Burke, Associate Clinical Professor and Pre-Licensure Program Director at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), faced this challenge head-on when she arrived on campus. Engaging a diverse […]

Virtues & Vocations is pleased to announce that Norman Wirzoa, Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Christian Theology & Senior Fellow a t the Kenan Institute of Ethics at Duke University, will receive the first Virtues & Vocations New Book Award for Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in Times of Crisis. The award will be presented […]

with Sian L. Beilock, Jennifer Frey, Roosevelt Montás, Eboo Patel, Deondra Rose, and Michael Roth When we talk about cultivating civil disagreement and courage of convictions on and off campus what are signs of hope? What are challenges to overcome? We asked campus and cultural leaders to respond to these questions and share their perspectives […]

The Institute for Citizens and Scholars (C&S) is leading a national effort to reshape how colleges and universities foster civic engagement on campus. An initiative of C&S, College Presidents for Civic Preparedness unites 100+ campus leaders nationwide to equip students with the skills to engage in civic life and strengthen their communities. The initiative offers […]

Deeply rooted in the wisdom of the Jewish Tradition, Sharon Brous’s (2024) The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend our Broken Hearts and World is about the simple (though not easy) act of showing up, of being there for others in all of life’s moments. Using her own life experiences as a point of departure, […]