Seminary (Catholic) (ETW building)
| Seminary | |
|---|---|
| Category: | Religion |
| Level: | 2 |
| Turns to build: | 3 |
| Building cost: | 1500 |
| |
| Requires | |
 Jesuit College | |
This Catholic establishment educates those hoping to join the priesthood, making sure that their instruction is firmly rooted in Church dogma.
The syllabus concentrates on giving students the theological, spiritual and philosophical tools needed to carry out their duties, as well as a solid “Classical” education to produce men who will be well-respected members of society. Where science and the natural world are touched upon, it is always with an emphasis on how they reveal God’s grand plan of creation. A seminary is not intended to produce an enquiring mind, only a very disciplined one.
Historically, the seminary system owes its existence to the forces of the Counter-Reformation, a movement that aimed to defeat the heretical, Protestant views of Martin Luther and his ilk. The Council of Trent had recognised education as a weapon in its struggles against schism. The Church required an educated and intelligent group of priests, who could argue successfully in its defence. While the 18th Century is seen as the “age of Enlightenment”, the Reformation and Counter-Reformation had yet to play themselves out completely and the Church’s place in the hearts of men, affairs of state and God’s universe was still open to argument. In parts of Europe, the Catholic Church was still a tremendous force for social, political and scientific conservatism.