Christendom College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., has released the latest episode of the Christendom Conversations podcast, featuring a discussion with acclaimed author, educator, and professor Dr. Jon Kirwan. Together, they discuss the current crisis in education and explore solutions to ensure a strong future for Catholic learning.
Dr. Kirwan, a distinguished scholar and educator, serves as the Director of Christendom’s new Center for Educational Philosophy and Leadership, the Director of the college’s Institute for Advanced Studies, and an Associate Professor of Theology. He holds a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Oxford and an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts. His academic work focuses on 20th-century French Catholic thought, and he has authored two scholarly books in the field. Before pursuing his doctorate, he spent years teaching in K–12 education, working with communities in South Los Angeles, the Navajo Indian Reservation, and East Africa.
In his engaging discussion with Dr. Harne, Dr. Kirwan reflects on his own educational journey and the deep-rooted challenges facing Catholic education today. He traces the historical origins of the current crisis in Catholic education, shaped by progressive movements and the rejection of objective truths, and discusses the failures of modern educational projects, particularly in cities like New York. Together, he and Dr. Harne highlight the resurgence of a liberal arts education as a solution to this crisis, along with the importance of integrating classical philosophy with modern leadership to revitalize Catholic schools.
This marks the third episode of Christendom Conversations, following March’s episode with acclaimed speaker and writer Mary Stanford. That episode explored Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and its relevance in today’s world, particularly in light of the growing influence of technology on family and society.
Christendom Conversations, the latest addition to the growing Christendom College podcast network, offers listeners and viewers the opportunity to engage with the wisdom of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Through thought-provoking discussions and in-depth interviews with Catholic intellectual leaders, the podcast explores profound ideas and addresses timeless questions, with new episodes releasing monthly.
Learn more about Christendom’s new Center for Educational Philosophy and Leadership here.