Fr. John Kartje to Take Part in Project to Develop and Deliver Science Courses in U.S. Seminaries
Mundelein, IL (September 16, 2015) – The John Templeton Foundation announced the winners of a major national grant competition to encourage scientific literacy in the formation of Catholic seminarians. The Very Rev. John Kartje, Rector/President of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, is the recipient of a $10,000 award for his proposal to develop a course titled, “Fundamentals of Science at the Foundations of Faith.” Father Kartje is one of only fifteen recipients of the Templeton grant.
“Mundelein Seminary is committed to preparing good, holy and competent priests who are equipped for the new evangelization,” said Father Thomas A. Baima, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. “Father Kartje’s ability to integrate theology and science is a great asset to our program. Whether teaching philosophy of nature in our philosophy program or in his biblical teaching, his ability to engage the foundational issues posed by science prepares our future priests to be more effective preachers and teachers.”
In addition to Father Kartje’s role as rector, he is an Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies. He holds a doctorate in sacred theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. as well as a doctorate from the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
The Templeton Grant was awarded through the Science in Seminaries Initiative at John Carroll University. Its goals are to “recover and reintegrate the tradition of teaching scientific literacy in the seminary intellectual formation program . . . the initiative anticipates a clergy prepared to engage the bigger questions of science that are foundational for effective evangelization in a scientific and technological world.”
Information about the project can be found at cscnewparameters.org
