Pluralizing Catholic Identity

One strand in the scholarship of Catholic school identity perceives that it has deteriorated since Vatican II (1962-1965) and therefore needs restoration. Unfortunately, this perception is based on an assumption that there is a singular Catholic identity. This article demonstrates a basis in theology, social theory, and educational thought to describe multiple Catholic identities, and then analyzes the work of two prominent Catholic educational theorists-Timothy Cook and Richard Rymarz-whose work follows a conception of Catholic identity in the singular. Finally, it considers the practical merits of acknowledging, coordinating, and promoting many kinds of Catholic identity in a school.