For Notre Dame – Battling for the Heart and Soul of a Catholic University

For Notre Dame gathers together the important contributions of a devoted Holy Cross priest to the continuing debate over the mission and identity of the University of Notre Dame. Read together, these essays and addresses by one of the most consistent and committed participants in this ongoing discussion serve to cast vital light on many of the major issues that Notre Dame has confronted in the past two decades.     Fr. Bill Miscamble’s spirited essays in For Notre Dame cover a range of topics and reflect his multiple roles at Notre Dame, where he has taught for a quarter century.   An award-winning scholar and a noted teacher Miscamble writes thoughtfully of the place of teaching and research in Catholic universities.  Crucially, he also is unafraid to explore more contentious subjects like the composition of the faculty and the responsibilities of faculty members who serve in a Catholic university like Notre Dame.  Nor has he backed away from the controversies that have beset Notre Dame in recent years.  In this volume a reader can learn how he courageously addressed such matters as academic freedom and The Vagina Monologues and, of course, how he protested the Notre Dame decision to honor President Barack Obama at its 2009 Commencement.     Throughout this engaging volume, Miscamble’s distinctive voice rings clear.  His passion for Notre Dame’s Catholic mission is evident on every page. Also evident is his deep concern for the moral and spiritual well-being of Notre Dame’s students and his deep commitment to the priesthood and to the Congregation of Holy Cross.      For Notre Dame is essential reading for all those who love Notre Dame and who are interested in its past, present, and future. It is a book that asks its readers to reflect deeply about the ongoing struggle to determine the university’s present mission and its future course.  Readers – including faculty, students, administrators, trustees and alumni – will surely discover through its pages how they too might stand more truly for Notre Dame.