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Ryan N.S. Topping
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The Case for Catholic Education: Why Parents, Teachers, and Politicians Should Reclaim the Principles of Catholic Pedagogy Kindle Edition

by Ryan N. S. Topping (Author), Sister John Mary Fleming, O.P. (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 40 ratings
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Catholic schools have long contributed to the mission of the Church and to the flourishing of society. During the past few decades, however, Catholic schools have suffered severe losses, both in their religious identity and in their capacity to attract students.
With penetrating insights, pointed anecdotes, and drawing upon recent empirical studies and Church documents, Ryan Topping describes the near collapse of Catholic education in North America and uncovers the enduring principles of authentic renewal. In The Case for Catholic Education you'll discover:

· the three purposes of Catholic education · why virtue is more important than self-esteem · the elements of a true "common core" curriculum · essential differences between "progressive" and "Catholic" models of learning · helpful study questions and a research guide

"This is an accessible and eminently readable book on a topic which no Catholic can afford to ignore."--Joseph Pearce, Aquinas College, Nashville, TN

"The Case for Catholic Education speaks to the heart of the debate over whether Catholic education is 'worth it.'"--Sister John Mary Fleming, O.P., Executive Director for Catholic Education, USCCB

"The Case for Catholic Education will surely play a vital role in reinvigorating the handing-on of essential Catholic truths."--Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P., Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Ann Arbor, MI

"This short book contains an astonishing wealth of insights and practical suggestions."--Dr. Keith Cassidy, President of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy

"Ryan Topping has written an engaging and coherent analysis of the state of Catholic education in North America, which will be useful for teachers in Britain, too."--Dr. Paul Shrimpton, Magdalen College School, Oxford

"An insightful view of our threatened patrimony and a framed vision for what educating and forming our children may still yet become."--Dr. Jason Fugikawa, Dean of Academics and Faculty, Holy Family Academy, Manchester, NH
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    8 years and up
  2. Print length
    120 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Angelico Press
  5. Publication date
    May 18, 2016
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1621381457
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is an accessible and eminently readable book on a topic which no Catholic can afford to ignore."--Joseph Pearce, Aquinas College
"...speaks to the heart of the debate over whether Catholic education is 'worth it.'"--Sister John Mary Fleming, O.P., Executive Director for Catholic Education, USCCB
"..will surely play a vital role in reinvigorating the handing-on of essential Catholic truths."--Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P., Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist
"...an astonishing wealth of insights and practical suggestions."--Dr. Keith Cassidy, President, OLSW, Canada

From the Back Cover

"Ryan Topping has written an engaging and coherent analysis of the state of Catholic education in North America, which will be useful for teachers in Britain, too."--Dr. Paul Shrimpton, Magdalen College School, Oxford, UK

"An insightful view of our threatened patrimony and a framed vision for what educating and forming our children may still yet become."--Dr. Jason Fugikawa, Dean of Academics and Faculty, Holy Family Academy, Manchester, NH

"The Case for Catholic Education includes sound advice in regards to the teaching of Good Books and then Great Books in the high school years, and for including Christ throughout an education."--Patrick S.J. Carmack, Founder of the Angelicum Academy and the Great Books Academy homeschool programs

"It is impossible to read this book without feeling stirred to the joy--and the work--of better educating our young people."--Patrick Conley, Director of Faith Formation, Cathedral of St. Paul, MN

"In his latest offering, Ryan Topping presents a lucid and lively exploration of the foundations of a true Catholic education."--Veronica Burchard, Vice President for Education Programs, Sophia Institute for Teachers, Bedford, NH

"Every Catholic educator and school administer should read and re-read this fine book."--Dr. Jason West, President and Academic Dean, Newman Theological College, Edmonton, AB, Canada

"This engaging book combines incisive appraisal and exposition with inspiring encouragement and exhortation."--Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P., Dominican Province of St. Joseph, New York, NY

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01I0QX6XI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Angelico Press (May 18, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 18, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6080 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 120 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

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Ryan N.S. Topping

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
40 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Greg Fazzari
5.0 out of 5 stars Every Catholic Educator please take note.
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2017
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What an extraordinary resource for those interested in making Catholic schools great again!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2016
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Succinct but excellent analysis and insights.
One person found this helpful
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Stuart Dunn
5.0 out of 5 stars A book every Catholic should read, not just parents and teachers!
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2015
The Case for Catholic Education is a short but eye-opening book by Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping, the author a book from 2013 that I still remember today - Rebuilding Catholic Culture. His current book looks objectively at Catholic schools, Catholic education and exposes the weaknesses. His reason for doing so is because "there is potential for greater strength."

The first chapter sets the stage by explaining why there is a crisis in Catholic education. Dr. Topping believes the root cause to be a "lack of confidence in truth." He goes on to explain what is lacking and Common Core and discusses a different curriculum briefly. He also speaks of Christopher Dawson and Dorothy Sayers and how they could see this crisis coming before it happened. The second chapter is the most depressing to me. In it, we are presented with numerous statistics and graphs that compared secular students, Protestant students, and Catholic students. Not all the numbers were bad, but with a lot of the moral and social issues you could see the degree of subjectivity Catholic students have adopted. Where is the objective moral truth that our children are supposed to be learning? But we cannot blame this solely on the schools, Catholic parents have failed as well. The remaining four chapters in this book discuss the purpose of education, the methods of the teacher, a curriculum of seven liberal arts (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music), and a hopeful chapter on the future of Catholic education.

It is hard to pick out a chapter as one that spoke to me the most, because each chapter built upon the previous one. I found myself nodding along the further and further I progressed in the book. After the chapters is a set of discussion questions, which can be used solo or in a small group setting. As for my opinion of the book, I found it to be succinct, but important enough that all Catholics should read it, not just parents and teachers. Catholic education is in need of a change, and we must stand up and do something about it, because it is not just our children's minds that are at stake but their souls as well.
5 people found this helpful
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happy reader
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a really fine book. Dr Topping does a great job of ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2015
This is a really fine book. Dr Topping does a great job of analyzing the current state of Catholic education in North America, but without bitterness. Instead he gives a succinct overview of how educators can direct their energies to improve the system and care for the child under their supervision. The book is packed with statistics and anecdotes, making it enjoyable reading.

What I appreciated most about this book is how Dr Topping points out the goals of Catholic education - that instead of focusing on passing exams and getting a job, a Catholic teacher should focus on their happiness, culture and virtue. He presents these three goals in light of what was traditionally taught, what the current views on education are, and how to bring these three goals into the classroom.

This book gives a great synopsis of why you should teach, how you should teach, and what you should teach Catholic children. It is helpful for anyone instructing a Catholic child: elementary teachers, high school teachers, post-secondary teachers and homeschoolers. I recommend it to anyone trying to figure out the best way to educate their children.
8 people found this helpful
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Thrive
5.0 out of 5 stars Topping has revealed the great poverty that afflicts America and how trying to lift ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2015
In this age of moral relativism where anything goes and all forms of criticism must be banned, Dr. Topping comes with a clear and foundational response which gives objectivity for the modus operandi of our Western heritage in regards to education. His ability to diagnose the illness of our educational systems is not from an ill-founded reactionary mentality, rather, it is an authentic response that is grounded in the basic principles of philosophy for a sound pedagogy. Dr. Topping plants many seeds that need to be cultivated through serious reflection by all educators, especially parents, in order to pave a way for the "Second Springtime" of Catholic education. In many ways, Dr. Topping has revealed the great poverty that afflicts America and how trying to lift people out of this poverty of the mind could very well lift many from the great poverty of the soul.
2 people found this helpful
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Caroline
5.0 out of 5 stars Even though we are a homeschooling family, the things ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2015
Even though we are a homeschooling family, the things we learned from this little gem of a book are invaluable. This can be read over and over again and there are still so many new things to discover each time. Thank you, Dr. Topping!
6 people found this helpful
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Lovee
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2023
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I gave this book five stars because it is so needed today. Every parent needs to keep in mind that they are their children’s primary educator and are simply outsourcing to schools. This helps to avoid expecting the school to do everything. Also, we need to reintroduce philosophy and a deeper study of language and mathematics. Read this book!
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Top reviews from other countries

Ann Gleeson
5.0 out of 5 stars Education which focuses on 'The Good'.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
It has to be remembered that this book applies to the situation in the United States and Canada but the priniciples of Catholic education apply universally. Topping argues, convincingly, that education based on the priniciples of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy - albeit tailored to different age groups, gives children and young people a firm foundation for life. This philosophy is based on the good and the beautfiful, not according to relativism - but according to classical philosophy and Catholic Christianity. The 'good' is based on right intentions and actions according to conscience; not on what any person may 'feel' is right. Since this good is also beautiful it is likely to be deeply satisfying and encouraging. The good also represents a challenge but many young people would welcome that.
The only reservation I have is the tendency of many transatlantic writers to repeat what has already been 'said'. Nevertheless I can recomment this book.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars I wish Topping could provide more practical ways teachers can ...
Reviewed in Canada on November 18, 2016
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I wish Topping could provide more practical ways teachers can be authentic in practice while still serving government mandated curriculum...
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