Catholic colleges and universities play a crucial role in handing on a rich faith tradition to young adults today. As these institutions have become more professional and pluralistic, many are asking how effective they are at carrying out the religious mission which is central to their identity:

Are Catholic colleges and universities significantly different from less expensive state institutions or from other private colleges and universities? Are they still committed to the search for truth, which is really the search for God? Thomas Rausch, an eminent educator, is a Catholic priest long interested in Catholic theology as a work of the church, not just of the academy. He insists we must also ask of Catholic higher education today:

Does it truly form students in the faith that does justice, or does it simply speed their passage into successful corporate lifestyles? Does it help students come to a personal encounter with the divine mystery revealed in Jesus? Keeping these questions before them, Rausch and five other contributors to this volume provide wisdom, insight, and concrete examples of how Catholic higher education can indeed foster faith that leads to a more just world.

Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is author of numerous books, including I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles' Creed, Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice, and Towards a Truly Catholic Church (Liturgical Press).