As a Catholic Jesuit institution Seattle University is born of a tradition that is 2,000 years old and counting. This tradition-the Catholic Intellectual Tradition-offers an implicit invitation to both explore and further enrich its treasury of wisdom.
Seattle University is accepting that invitation. By establishing the Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture (ICTC), the university is committing itself as never before to study and build upon the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. With the Institute as its academic nucleus, the university will examine its Catholic heritage with heightened intentionality and vigor.
Seattle University brings a perspective to this unfolding dialogue on Catholic thought and culture, one which few,if any, universities claim. As one of the most diverse universities in the Northwest, we are blessed with a multiplicity of viewpoints that ensure a textured analysis. Our location, in what many consider the most un-churched region of the country, challenges us to bring heightened rigor to how we study and enrich the Catholic tradition. Our grounding in the humanities allows faith and reason to enter into conversation as mutually illuminating partners.