Why tolerance is not a virtue at Catholic universities

Theologian Aurelie Hagstrom writes in Integritas:

I think it is vitally important to remember that mere “tolerance” is not true dialogue. Hospitality is much more engaging, risky, and costly than the mere tolerance of diversity is. Mere tolerance cannot sustain our communities or our conversations in moments of crisis or deep disagreement. Hospitality, by contrast, is incarnational. It does not exist as a disembodied attitude toward others, like tolerance, but is instead a practice of bringing strangers and guests into a ritual of peaceful engagement. Hospitality takes the identity, story, and tradition of the guest seriously as a foundation for table fellowship and meaningful dialogue.

One reason why Catholic universities are, in fact, universities rather than multiversities–that is, shopping malls of different disciplines that have nothing to say to each other–is because of their practice of hospitality. Like Thomas Aquinas integrating the insights of Jewish and Muslim interlocutors, Catholic universities strive simply to know what is true, regardless of the source of insight. Happily, Catholic anthropology very comfortably recognizes that all human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, can be sources.