Lay Leaders in Catholic Higher Education: An Emerging Paradigm for the Twenty-first Century

John E. Thiel is a contributing author, "Response to Anthony J. Cernera," pp.63-69.

Since the Second Vatican Council, lay women and men are assuming greater responsibility for guiding the mission of the Catholic Church in the modern world. This is particularly the case in institutions of Catholic higher education in the United States. The eighteen essays in this volume, based on presentations at a conference sponsored by Sacred Heart University and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, examine the many challenges facing lay leaders of Catholic institutions of higher learning. The volume begins with a report on a detailed study of the background of lay leaders; the essays that follow address such topics as spirituality and lay leadership, the relationship between a school and its sponsors, cultivating Catholic identity on campus, and defining and implementing the mission of a school.

Although the volume will be of particular interest to Catholic educators, its examination of broad topics such as academic and administrative leadership geared to public service as well as faith will be useful to all those working to shape the colleges and universities of the twenty-first century into communities of social engagement as well as personal growth.