Date of Award

Spring 4-15-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

Thesis Advisor

Dr. Brian Melton

Committee Professor

Dr. Brian Melton

Abstract

Abstract

The Intertextuality of Father Camilo Torres Restrepo’s Academic Thinking And The

Foundation Of The First Sociology Department in Colombia

Catalina Honsowetz

Southeastern University

Born ten years before the start of WWII, Father Camilo Torres Restrepo entered the world in Bogotá, Colombia, at a time riddled with poverty and violence. He belonged to a politically liberal family that never shied away from public service or controversy. Desiring also to serve, Camilo surprised his family and friends with a change in career after starting university. Father Torres abandoned the law to put on priestly robes, hoping to serve his neighbors most effectively. From the moment he entered Seminary to the end of his graduate studies in Belgium, the intertextuality of his classical education led him, along with Orlando Fals Borda, to create and develop the first Sociology Department in Colombia. He began gathering tools from the start of his career, hoping to serve and love effectively. Then he seemed to identify in sociology, the vehicle he could utilize to bring about change and progress to a beautiful and hurting nation. Seeing the science behind sociology as well as its objective study as the perfect way to bring warring opinions to agreement, he created a program that outlasted him. Although his life was short, he lived it to the fullest and left a profound mark that continues to influence the lives of Colombians and Latin Americans to this day.

1 Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “intertextuality,” accessed March 19, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intertextuality. Intertextuality: (noun) Derived from the French intertextualité, intertextuality refers to the intricate interrelationships between various texts that enhance the interpretation of a particular text. This research will explore the intertextuality between Camilo Torres’ seminary and university studies and how they relate to Father Camilo’s establishment of the first Sociology department in Colombia.

Comments

This thesis examines the early years of Father Camilo Torres Restrepo's education and how it influenced his love for and use of Sociology. This angle is new and has not been studied or researched before. By examining Father Torres' education, a more comprehensive picture of his character and belief system emerges.

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