National Catholic Register, The Professor Pipeline: Legendary Teachers Continue to Inspire the Next Generation of Catholic Academics:
[There is a] long legacy of legendary Christian scholars mentoring their students and inspiring them to follow in their footsteps. Examples from history include St. Albert the Great’s mentorship of St. Thomas Aquinas, or St. Ambrose’s of St. Augustine.
The age-old pattern highlights the profound impact of personal influence in the academic vocation, and it continues to play out today, shaping the next generation of Catholic professors.
Notre Dame law professor Sherif Girgis, for instance, recalls being “mesmerized” by the example set by political philosopher Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University.
Girgis had been inspired to apply to Princeton after reading an article about George in Crisis Magazine, so he was already aware of the professor’s reputation when he stepped foot on campus. But in person, Girgis said that the iconic Catholic scholar made a life in academia seem like a courageous and exciting endeavor. George’s witness was especially compelling to Girgis as a recent convert, who was well aware of how unpopular many Catholic views are in secular society — and especially at Ivy League schools.
“It’s not just that he happened to hold these views privately; it’s not even that he defended publicly the idea that you can be reasonable and hold them,” Girgis explained. “He was saying, ‘My view is rationally superior to my opponent’s, and I can prove it on their own grounds.’”
“He was in the valley of the beast, and he was a cheerful, joyful, happy warrior, totally out in the open, taking on all comers, and I thought that was incredible,” he added. …
When students follow their mentors into academia, they take with them not just their ideas but their teaching styles, too.
Girgis has picked up a variety of George’s habits in the classroom: playing devil’s advocate, encouraging lively debate among students, framing issues passionately and dramatically, and speaking without notes, to name a few. …
That so many of today’s professors take on the likeness of their mentors is unsurprising, says Girgis. As he puts it, we learn best by imitation.
Pepperdine Caruso Law School cherishes our connection with Robby and Sherif: Robby serves as our Nootbaar Honorary Distinguished Professor of Law and Sherif serves as a Nootbaar Faculty Fellow. They have blessed our students and faculty by teaching courses and participating in our Dean’s Speaker Series and faculty colloquia series.
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