IT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT to say that we live in an age of computers. The Society of Jesus has not isolated itself from the influence computers have in our world. During the Jesuits' 34th general congregation (GC 34), reports were e-mailed worldwide via a computer in Korea. Some delegates wrote congregation documents on laptop computers. And more and more Jesuits are communicating with each other via computers, e-mail addresses becoming as standard an entry in the national Jesuit catalog as phone numbers.

Trying to address the relationship of the Society of Jesus to computer science is like trying to address the relationship of Christianity to the telephone. Computers are technological wonders that, like the printing press, the engine, and the automobile, make us rethink established ways of doing things and wonder how we ever managed without them.

But there is another level at which the relationship of the Society of Jesus to computers should be the subject of reflection-that of an academic discipline. The Society's Constitutions make no mention of computer science, of course, but it might surprise some that they do mention disciplines that belong to the world of science and technology. In one section, "What the Scholastics of the Society Should Study," Ignatius mentions natural philosophy (what we call the biological and physical sciences) as a required area for study along with theology and scripture. In "The Subjects Which Should Be Taught in the Universities of the Society," he lists natural sciences, logic, physics, and math.

The subject areas mentioned in the Constitutions should be seen in context of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, logic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy), disciplines that by Ignatius's time had been considered for centuries as foundational, those without which no student could succeed in a Renaissance university. I point out to students who question the relevance of science for humanities majors that four of these seven subjects are now usually taught by math or science instructors; in addition to arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy, there is logic, now taught in math and computer departments as well as philosophy departments.

The mere mention of scientific fields in the Constitutions indicates how varied the areas were that Ignatius considered necessary for someone to study to be well educated and able to play a significant role in the world. But we should not look at the academic subjects mentioned in Jesuit documents independent of the motivation for studying them. Ignatius expressed his mind when writing about courses for scholastics:

Since the end of the learning ...is to help the souls of its own members and those of their neighbors, it is by this norm that the decision will be made ...as to what subjects [Jesuits] ought to learn.

Ignatius is clear: All knowledge is to be used to benefit others-"to help souls," using the language of the sixteenth century. Any discipline that helped reach this end was worth learning and teaching. And Ignatius was also clear in what he meant by helping souls when he and his companions took care of the sick, fed the hungry, and sheltered the homeless.

Continuity

The study of computer science is in direct continuity with the vision of Ignatius. Our culture uses computers for communication, research, and recreation, to name but a few fields. Because of their utility, it is in line with Ignatius's sentiments that the study of computers should have an honored place in Jesuit education.

As is the case with the Constitutions, the word "computer" does not appear in any decree of GC 34, but "science" and "technology" do. Technological developments are mentioned in "Our Mission and Justice," and "Our Mission and Culture" mentions finding answers in science rather than religion. Other documents make reference to technological change, advances in the life sciences, and information technology.

GC 34 portrays science and technology as aspects of life that cannot be overlooked as Jesuits adapt their ministries in the contemporary world. Since science and technology are so intertwined with our world, it is appropriate that they be studied in Jesuit schools in how they affect people in daily life as well as in abstract ways.

Distinctions

The ability to drive a car differs from that required to fix a car or to design a more efficient car. Designing a camera is different from operating one, just as writing a script is different from acting it out on stage. Similarly, designing a more efficient engine or a digital camera, pondering new computer architectures, or designing new computer languages, all in the realm of theory, are foundational for the advancement of science and technology.

These distinctions are important because of common misconceptions of what science and engineering can do and how practical these disciplines are. Sciences formulate hypotheses, test them, and assert the truth of laws or the falsity of propositions. These theoretical aspects, so necessary for scientific knowledge, are often so technical and abstract they tend to be overlooked or ignored by many people, who focus on "but what good is it?"

I am uneasy with any who would propose, as a result of GC 34, that Jesuits significantly redirect their energies of research toward issues that relate only to contemporary problems. Focusing on the theoretical can be an escape from the nitty-gritty, but pragmatism, demanding immediate utility, can be an enemy of the growth of science and technology. The greater good at times is achieved by dedicated research that often does not produce "results" for decades.

The pursuit of knowledge and truth begins with wonder and awe, things that in themselves are not very practical but are at the core of what it means to be human. When I stand back and marvel at the coherence, the beauty, the abstract truth I find in computer-generated numeric results, I sometimes find myself echoing St. Augustine: "O eternal truth . . . Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new."

This pursuit of truth and beauty, this experience of wonder and awe- whether in the physical sciences, math, music, or art-can draw a person through creation to the Creator and, in the long run, contribute to the betterment of society.

Jesuits engage in science as a means to an end, the salvation of souls. Science is pursued in the hope that someone may one day utilize new discoveries to build a better world. In this sense, basic scientific research admirably fulfills the pragmatic norm long used by Jesuits yet often is not what many would term very practical. Discovering black holes in space will not provide jobs for inner-city teens. Taking chemistry will not, by itself, enable a student to discover a cure for HIV. But rigorous scientific work can provide the language and tools better to understand God's creation.

Caricatures

Decree 16 of GC 34, which refers to the high esteem traditionally given to intellectual labor by the Society, is heartening to me because the world of science and technology is often misunderstood by so many people, Jesuits included. Scientists are regularly caricatured as absent minded, living in a world far removed from humanity's day-to-day struggles, more comfortable with chemicals or computers than with colleagues or companions. But one cannot discuss personal feelings about a mathematical theorem-it either is true or false. A computer program either works or does not. The mindset needed to work in fields requiring such exactitude is a talent God has not given to everyone, but it is necessary for the growth of scientific knowledge.

Scientific research can be lonely and tedious and boring; those involved must often be content with delayed gratification. Yet the solitary and abstract aspects of science do not mean that such work is any less significant in the contribution it can make to bringing about a more-just world, aiding the "salvation of souls," and assisting God's kingdom to come.

GC 34 implicitly calls Jesuits to continue their tradition of research in this science of computers. New computer architectures that are, in effect, a whole army of interconnected computers raise theoretical questions and may require rethinking approaches to problem solving. On the level of computer technology we are asked to dream about what may be possible. For example, "distance learning" via television has existed awhile, but the dream of "distance medical treatment" has only recently been achieved via interactive computers and micro cameras. Specialists can now assist general practitioners miles away in diagnoses and treatment, saving time and lives. The use of computers for artificial intelligence is also in its infancy, but its eventual maturation, through deeper insights into how humans think, could lead to another technological revolution.

Need for reflection

The very existence of computers raises the issue of how they are used and thus creates a locus for new ethical reflections. Given the Society's traditions, Jesuit universities should become prime centers for scholarly reflection on the questions that can be raised. How foolproof should a "star wars" satellite computer program be before being released? What obligations do corporations have toward employees laid off after a plant is "computerized"? Are those with e-mail accounts becoming a new social class? How do we teach about computers yet instill values that keep students from becoming "hackers"?

Just as advances in biology and medicine raise new questions for bioethicians, these and other computer questions require the attention and reflection of scholars knowledgeable about computers and ethics.

A Jesuit should not need the Constitutions or the decrees of a general congregation to justify service to the sick, nor should he need them to justify being involved in scientific research. But it is heartening to know that one's expertise, a God-given gift, is seen as valuable in the context of the Society's traditional charisms. What GC 34 ultimately encourages me to do is convey to students the joy I take in my work. By my presence as a religious and a priest, I demonstrate that all things, including math, science, technology, and computers, can be used to better the world for God's greater glory.

Fr. Dennis C. Smolarski, SJ, is professor of computer science at Santa Clara University. His article is an excerpt from one that will be published by Sheed & Ward in Jesuit Higher Education, edited by Fr. Martin Tripole, SJ, and due out in early 1998. Reprinted with permission of Sheed & Ward, 115 E. Armour Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64111.