Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2016 Curriculum and Compassion: An Inquiry into the Relevance of the Charism of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in a Post-Modern World Thomas Walter Eldringhoff Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Eldringhoff, Thomas Walter, "Curriculum and Compassion: An Inquiry into the Relevance of the Charism of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in a Post-Modern World" (2016). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 181. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/181 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. CURRICULUM AND COMPASSION: AN INQUIRY INTO THE RELEVANCE OF THE CHARISM OF THE BROTHERS OF THE SACRED HEART IN A POST-MODERN WORLD A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The College of Education by Thomas Walter Eldringhoff B.A., St. Joseph Seminary College, 1985 M.A., Tulane University, 1991 M.R.E., Loyola University (New Orleans), 2001 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As anyone who has undertaken any project like this already knows, one cannot complete it without the support of a vast array of family, friends and colleagues. Naturally, I am no different, so I have a host of people to thank for my being in this position. First, I want to thank the scholarly community of LSU’s Curriculum Theory Project, students and faculty, for always making me feel welcome despite my altogether too infrequent visits. I felt like an outsider all the time, but that was on me—I only ever felt welcomed by those I encountered. To classmates with whom I had the chance to collaborate or from whom I learned so much—Berlisha, Valerie, Keeley, Carla, Danielle, Seth, Reagan, Ashley, Kaori, Robin, Nick, Heather—of course I say thank you, and I hope our paths cross many more times than they have already. Special thanks to the professors on my committee for their patience and support: to Dr. Egea for her gentle hospitality, for challenging my more simplistic ideas of research, and for introducing me to the narrative method I have come to use and appreciate so much; to Dr. Pasquier for his offer of good conversation; to Dr. Mitchell for asking questions I don’t see coming; and to Dr. Hendry for constant guidance and critique, but most of all for always pushing the project forward. I can safely say it would not be done without the force of her personality; I have been “Petra’d” as they say, and am better for it. I am in the great debt of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart whose wisdom about education as a matter of the heart continues to challenge and shape me as an educator and human being. I desperately hope their patience with a young clueless former seminarian 30 years ago has been worth it to them. Thanks to Noel, Bernie and Ivy for allowing me to glimpse their brotherhood, what it means to them, what they hope it has ii done and will do for their fellow brothers, lay colleagues, and especially the young people, fortunate enough to have encountered these committed, loving men. I must also thank my colleagues at Catholic High School for tolerating, and some days even encouraging, the philosophical reflection I tend to inflict on those around me. I know my absorption with the graduate work on some days meant that colleagues had to deal with my absence, or help me complete something I needed to do. Never once did I hear anyone complain if I needed their assistance because I was overwhelmed. I owe you all way more than “one,” but I hope we can spread out the collection. Finally, I thank my family, my wife Crystal, my daughter Ashley and her husband Peyton, my daughter Rebecca, my parents Tom and LaRue, and my brother and sister and their families and all my in-laws. I know as I have devoted time to this work that I haven’t seen as much of all of you as I would like, and I gather from at least some of you that you may have liked to have seen more of me. Be careful what you wish for. Please know how much I love each of you, and how much your support and encouragement has meant. As for what follows, we will keep it simple. If any of it has any value or meaning to the reader, there are multiple people who deserve the credit, some mentioned above, others mentioned in the text. The errors, misstatements, unartful renderings, or any other problems—that’s on me. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... ii A NOTE ON CHAPTER TITLES ....................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: “IT HELPS, NOW AND THEN, TO SIT BACK AND TAKE THE LONG VIEW” ................................................................................................... 1 Situating the problem ........................................................................................... 7 Research Questions .............................................................................................. 9 Purpose and significance of the study .................................................................. 9 Post-modern Theoretical Framework ................................................................. 11 Overview of the study ......................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 2. METHODOLOGY—“NOTHING WE DO IS COMPLETE.” ........................ 19 Interviews ........................................................................................................... 24 Metaphysical responsibility ............................................................................... 28 Responsibility for a responsible approach to truth ........................................... 30 Responsibility for negotiating the webs of responsibility.................................. 32 Impossible Responsibility .................................................................................. 34 Responsibility and Context: To whom am I responsible? ................................. 35 Limitations of this study .................................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 3. THE CHARISM OF THE BROTHERS OF THE SACRED HEART: “WE LAY FOUNDATIONS THAT WILL NEED FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.” ..................... 41 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 41 Charism ............................................................................................................... 43 The Call of Vatican II .......................................................................................... 45 The Founder: André Coindré ............................................................................. 45 Coindré and 19th century French Catholicism ................................................... 47 Coindré’s work and the story of the brothers .................................................... 49 Decline ................................................................................................................ 52 The Second Founder and mission to the United States..................................... 53 Louisiana Connection ......................................................................................... 54 Coming full circle ................................................................................................ 59 Thinking about the story .................................................................................... 66 Content of the Form ........................................................................................... 67 The Romantic or the Tragic ................................................................................ 67 Curricular connections ....................................................................................... 70 CHAPTER 4. POST-MODERNISM AND SPIRITUALITY: “THE KINGDOM IS NOT ONLY BEYOND OUR EFFORTS, IT IS EVEN BEYOND OUR VISION.” ....................... 74 Catholic and Christian perspectives ................................................................... 84 Curriculum, Theology, Spirituality .................................................................... 87 Curricular Characteristics .................................................................................. 90 iv Finding the Story ................................................................................................ 95 Explicit Catholic Curricula ............................................................................... 100 Brothers of the Sacred Heart ............................................................................ 103 CHAPTER 5. PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY: “WE PLANT THE SEEDS THAT ONE DAY WILL GROW” ......................................................................................................... 106 Introduction ....................................................................................................