What does it really mean that BC is "Jesuit"?

<p>As someone getting interested in BC very late in the game, I’m curious about the specific role of religion on the campus. I don’t have a problem with a religious presence, which there would obviously be at a Catholic college, but I’m trying to figure out specifically how prevalent that religious presence actually is.</p>

<p>Are all the professors religious? What percentage of the students are practicing Catholics/Christians/any other religion? Is Catholicism a big part of campus life?</p>

<p>I’m an atheist/Unitarian Universalist and I would just like to get some solid information on what it’s like to be a “non believer” at BC. I’ve been hearing tons of rumors and getting advice from random people but I’d like a first hand perspective from actual students/alumni. Thank you to everyone!</p>

<p>My Dad went to a Jesuit school all through his Schooling years and as a practicing Hindu he has no issues sending me to a Jesuit school. His feeling is that if you are well rooted in your own beliefs one shouldn’t have any issues about a school’s religious denomination.</p>

<p>I subscribe to his belief it is important for me to be exposed to all view points in order to be able to appreciate what different religions have to offer. If I choose to attend BC I plan on keeping an open mind and absorbing what comes my way.</p>

<p>Yeah, I’m not too worried about my viewpoints being challenged; I’m pretty comfortable with my thoughts about things and I don’t think anything could change that.</p>

<p>I’m just wondering how prevalent religion actually is so that I can get a sense of how comfortable I’d be at BC. If it’s sort of “in your face” I’d grow weary pretty quickly.</p>

<p>Diana,</p>

<p>This subject has been rehashed to death in this forum. I suggest doing an advanced search keyword: religion only for the BC forum here on CC. Scanning just the first three pages of results will give you a lot of valuable links to discussions.</p>

<p>The short answer is that BC is a very secular place. With the possible exception of the Jesuit priests, I have no idea how ‘religious’ individual professors might be. Religion isn’t ‘in your face’ though you may/will see a crucifix in some/most of the classrooms. </p>

<p>BC is a Catholic school in the Jesuit tradition. That means open-minded scholarship with a commitment to service. The education is based on rigorous questioning of assumptions. You will be challenged on your religious beliefs but not because of what you believe. Blind faith is weak faith. You will be expected to deeply and maturely question your beliefs and be able to defend your position. Your beliefs will be respected. For example, you tell us you’re an “atheist/Unitarian Universalist” - well which is it? On this issue you can’t be a little bit pregnant, either you’re an atheist or you’re not. You either believe there is a God (however you choose to define that entity), you aren’t sure about his/her existence (agnosticism) or you don’t believe that God exists.</p>

<p>I have a slightly different take than Vince – since this is an open forum, you get what you pay for. :)</p>

<p>BC is a Jesuit school, that also is Catholic. What I mean by that is BC offers a Jesuit education, the premise of which is scholarship, loyalty and service. So, if you believe in those ideals, you will fit in regardless of your religious faith, or if you have no faith at all. I remember attending an Admissions meeting and one of the student presenters was Agnostic. He said that he fit in well because he was big on community service, and loyal to his fellow students.</p>

<p>The Core requires two classes in theology, but those can be completed in several ways, including an awesome service component (PULSE), but none of which require attending church services.</p>

<p>Statistically, ~70% of the student body is Catholic. Of those that go to church on Sunday (besides on Parent’s Weekend), who knows…</p>

<p>I would echo everything bluebayou said. In addition, I’ve found that BC’s Jesuit identity forces students to ask some of the bigger questions during their undergraduate studies, both in and out of the classroom. At BC, students are expected to find the intersection between their greatest passions, their greatest strengths, and where the world has greatest need. BC places quite a bit of emphasis on discernment, and as a result, it puts a lot of resources into student development. There are a lot of retreat opportunities, service trips, and support services for students as they try to figure out their next path after BC. You may hear often that a BC education is about educating the “whole person.” I found this to mean that a surprising number of faculty and administrators at BC really care about students in and out of the classroom. </p>

<p>On a similar note, I would also add that BC’s Jesuit identity may be most apparent in times of tragedy or stress. The support available to students who have suffered any kind of loss, I think, is unusual and remarkable. </p>

<p>For more, I would watch this video: [C21</a> Webcasts on Demand](<a href=“http://www.bc.edu/church21/webcast.html?10.05.10_AGL_Fr_Butler_Md.mp4#feature-area]C21”>http://www.bc.edu/church21/webcast.html?10.05.10_AGL_Fr_Butler_Md.mp4#feature-area)</p>

<p>It features Fr. Jack Butler, VP for Mission and Ministry at Boston College, and a favorite Jesuit of many students at Boston College. I felt the video to be a very accurate depiction of the Jesuit influence at BC.</p>

<p>Boston college “The Journey to Adulthood” page14</p>

<p>“Students, of course, will come from different faith traditions and some may have no
explicit religious commitment or be searching for a tradition to which they can belong.
At BC, most students identify themselves as Catholic (about 65%) and a significant percentage are from other Christian traditions (20%), so a Christian, predominantly Catholic ethos will be apparent, but students of any religious tradition or none ought to be able to find at BC a supportive environment for deepening their own faith lives or, in less explicitly religious language, discovering how to live authentically within a horizon of ultimate meaning.”</p>

<p>A lot of great BC info, only 31 pages.</p>

<p>UNDERSTANDING STUDENT FORMATION
<a href=“http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/mission/pdf1/umm1.pdf[/url]”>http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/mission/pdf1/umm1.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;