Between a rock and a hard place: Theologians and the Mandatum (Questioningacademic freedom in Catholic colleges and universities in the United States)

The title of my reflections is "Between a Rock and A Hard Place," which I t hink aptly describes the situation of Catholic theologians in the United St ates since the bishops' meeting of November 1999. The imagery refers to the rock of Peter, the hard place to the problems the "mandatum" raises for ou rselves and our Catholic colleges and universities. My question is: What ca n the social sciences tell us about our present dilemma? First, I will look at the history of the problem as we have experienced it in the U.S. Next, the bishops' document is now in the hands of the Roman Curia, so I will loo k at the role of that institution. And finally, I will review quickly event s to date in the light of evidence from the social sciences and suggest a p ossible strategy to deal with the situation in our U.S. context.