Catholic Education in Latin America, an ongoing project

This book seeks to be a reference for all those who share the concern to understand a system, a type of educational institution and a type of educational project that is aligned with the mission of the Church. Whether in the public or private sphere, whether secular or religious, thinking about Catholic education entails a major question: that of the relevance or not of religion in the public space, an area where education is one more manifestation. Catholic education plays a relevant role within the Church, both in a practical and transcendental sense. Practical, since Catholic educational institutions are the places where, for many, the transmission of faith takes place and religious experiences are lived. Transcendental, since a school is invited to be a domestic Church. Just as important as the above is the role of Catholic education in incorporating students into democratic life and social life. In doing so, it not only fulfills its role of training women and men to inhabit the extended community, but also contributes from its perspective to the diversity of society. Dedicating a book to Catholic education allows us to approach its greatest challenges in an up-to-date way: quality and excellence, the anthropological dimension - specifically, the question of the woman and man to be educated - and, finally, the dialogue between faith and culture. These questions must be addressed in order to create educational processes that respond to the needs of the present time. Although there is abundant literature on Catholic education at a global level, this is not the case with Catholic education in Latin America. Therefore, the reflection that this book invites us to make in its eleven chapters - all written by Latin American authors - is in a defined temporal and regional context. In this way, "Catholic Education in Latin America: A Project in Progress" not only seeks to contribute to reflection, but also to raise awareness of the need to advance an agenda on this topic, to bring the good news of Jesus to the confines of Catholic educational institutions in our region... and beyond.

PATRICIA IMBARACK Y CR

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