Tuning the Rig

Abstract

To 'tune the rig' describes adjusting a ship's rigging; the rig of a well-tuned boat allows the sails to function well. This task must be performed to ensure the best performance by the ship. Tuning the Rig takes that metaphor as a guide for Catholic educators and administrators, as well as for the larger church. It argues from a variety of perspectives rooted in the Catholic imagination that the rig constantly needs to be re-tuned to balance between visions of the church as teacher and learner. Why should this matter to Catholic educators? To Herron, our understanding of the church as learner is at the heart of our understanding of ourselves as disciples. One of the logical consequences of this era of baptismal consciousness is a rising awareness on the part of the laity that their task is not simply to 'pay, pray, and obey' but to grow and journey in faith. Herron's focus ranges from issues closely pertaining to Catholic schools to the larger questions of the Catholic imagination. The underlying thread, however, is the challenge of maintaining the richness of the Catholic imagination — of tuning the rig — in changing times and the ordinary life of the church.