Research On Religion » Vatican Council II

David Deavel on De Sales, Newman, Chesterton, and Hitchcock

tonygill — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 08:00:21 +0000

Location, location, location. That is the eternal cry of every real estate agent, and it proved prophetic for this week’s guest, Prof. David Deavel, an assistant professor of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas — as he grew up an evangelical Christian in the shadow of Notre Dame, which gave him the foundation for later converting to Catholicism. And along the way, he became an expert on a number of Catholic saints, theologians, and writers, which is where our discussion winds today. And a winding road it is, starting with St. Francis De Sales, moving into John Henry Newman, off to G.K. Chesterton, and finally stopping with Alfred Hitchcock. This is a fun-filled and light-hearted look at a number of Catholic thinkers and their relationship to our modern world.

The conversation begins with a bit of the background on our guest, and an interesting fun fact that the city of St. Paul was once called “Pig’s Eye.” We learn much about how Prof. Deavel ended up thinking about everything from Catholic social thought to vampires and Harry Potter. After that, we get on to the primary topic at hand, which is Saint Francis De Sales, a priest who originally started out as a lawyer and who was also an avid rower back in the 16th century (and eventually passing in 1622). Prof. Deavel terms De Sales a “patron saint for our time” by observing that Francis threw himself into a very contentious environment in Switzerland several decades after the Protestant Reformation. Catholics were not all that popular in Geneva back then, thus De Sales had to figure out how to keep a low profile (once hiding in a tree for a full day), yet keep true to his love of spreading the Gospel. De Sales strategy was to show and live a life of love, and would often minister in local houses. His understanding that all Christians were holy was a thought that preceded the thinking of the Second Vatican Council’s emphasis on ecumenism by more than three centuries. David points out that in today’s world where politics has become a “blood sport” and all sorts of groups are locked in seemingly endless battle, De Sales message of tolerance is one that should be heralded. Francis De Sales eventually was promoted to bishop of Geneva and founded the Salesians religious order (or Visitation sisters).

We then move on to discuss John Henry Newman who lived for most of the 19th century and became an important figure in Catholic education. Experiencing a Christian conversion at age 16 and becoming an Anglican clergy member in the 1820s, Newman was a principal leader of the Oxford Movement that sought to return the Church of England to its Catholic roots. Though unsuccessful in returning the Anglican Church to Catholicism, Newman found himself converting to Catholicism in the mid-19th century, eventually becoming a Cardinal in the Church. We discuss his emphasis on education, culminating both in his work in Dublin, as well as his series of lectures that culminated in the work The Idea of a University which has heavily influenced Catholic higher education to this day. Although never having hidden in a tree like Francis De Sales, Cardinal Newman has been on the road to sainthood and is currently categorized as Blessed Newman, one step away from becoming an official saint. Our conversation turns then to G.K. Chesterton, another Catholic thinker that has occupied the mind of Dr. Deavel. He contrasts the irreligious early life of Chesterton with the two previous figures we discussed, but notes the similarities in how his faith was shaped early in adulthood, eventually culminating in his admission that he was Christian by age 26 and eventual conversion to Catholicism in 1922. We then veer into the world of Alfred Hitchcock who was influenced by Chesterton but took a much different religious trajectory. Prof. Deavel notes the religious influences in Hitchcock’s life and how he came back to Catholicism at the end of his life. Our conversation ends with some reflections by David on what this eclectic path of study he has taken has revealed to him over time. Recorded: February 23, 2018.

Prof. David Deavel’s Academia.edu page (where you can find his various articles).

LOGOS: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture.

The Catholic Controversy, by St. Francis De Sales.

Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis De Sales.

The Idea of a University, by John Henry Newman.

Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton.

“The Ballad of the White Horse,” by G.K. Chesterton.

Martin Luther Insult Generator (mentioned in podcast).

Pope Francis Insult Generator (also mentioned in podcast in an ecumenical spirit).

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Margaret Taylor-Ulizio on Being a Canon Lawyer

tonygill — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 08:00:35 +0000

If the Catholic Church maintains a Code of Canon Law, one would assume that there are canon lawyers to mediate disputes that fall within the realm of that form of religious jurisprudence. It just so happens that canon lawyers do exist and we were to track down and invite Dr. Margaret Taylor-Ulizio – founder/principal of the Canon Law Advocacy and Mediation Services and part-time instructor at Georgian Court University – to discuss her career path and what canon lawyers do. After a quick introduction about what canon law is, we trace Dr. Taylor-Ulizio’s career path from an undergraduate student interested in theology at Duquesne University to her successful pursuit of a doctorate in systematic theology and ecclesiology at Marquette University. Following this, we learn that Catholic University of America is the only school in the U.S. that trains canon lawyers for the Catholic Church. Following a rigorous program of courses on canon law, along with some training in secular law, Margaret was able to take her exams and enter into the world of canon lawyering. She gives an overview of the profession and outlines what falls within the scope of canon law. We also cover how changes to the Code of Canon Law have been made over time, including recent revisions that were a response to the increasing involvement of the laity following Vatican Council II. Dr. Taylor-Ulizio then notes that most of her cases have involved marriage nullity. We spend time discussing what an annulment entails and some of the trickier aspects of these cases, including the differences between defect in consent and defect in exchange. We finish off with her reflection upon her theological and legal training and how she views the world differently today. Recorded: July 27, 2017.

Canon Law Society for America.

Code of Canon Law.

“Inside Katy Perry’s Real-Estate Soap Opera: Why Nuns and the Catholic Church Are Battling Over Her Dream L.A. Property,” in Billboard magazine.

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John Fea on the American Bible Society

tonygill — Sun, 08 May 2016 08:00:09 +0000

As The American Bible Society (ABS) celebrates its bicentennial, we are joined by Prof. John Fea — department of history at Messiah College — to review the history of this quintessential American institution. He reveals how he was approached by ABS to help craft a history of this organization, but instead of merely writing a coffee table chronology he sets the ABS into the broader narrative of American history. Prof. Fea emphasizes four ongoing themes in the trajectory of the ABS, including: 1) its ecumenical outreach (first with Protestants and then Catholics after Vatican II); 2) its cultural and religious power position within society; 3) a leader in media innovation; and 4) the institution’s struggle to define itself in changing times. We witness how the ABS moves from its origins as a benevolence society into a service organization dedicated to supporting churches and selling Bibles (not merely donating them), and then to its changing role today as a more missional organization. We cover how the ABS reacted to issues such as slavery, Reconstruction, waves of immigration, and its struggles with Catholicism in the United States. John also reviews the ABS’s role abroad, particularly in the Levant, and how today — with lower cost of Bibles and phone apps leading to a market saturation of the Good Book — the ABS has taken a more evangelical turn in the late 20th and early 21st century. Recorded: April 29, 2016.

RELATED LINKS

John Fea’s bio at Messiah College.

The Way of Improvement Leads Home (John Fea’s blog and website).

The Bible Cause: A History of the American Bible Society, by John Fea.

Why Study History?, by John Fea.

Was American Founded as a Christian Nation?, by John Fea.

The Way of Improvement Leads Home: Philip Vickers Fithian and the Rural Enlightenment in Early America, by John Fea.

The American Bible Society (homepage).

Nida Institute.

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Christopher Hale on Religion & Protest in Mexico

tonygill — Sun, 01 May 2016 08:00:58 +0000

Over the past several decades, political and social protests have erupted across Mexico, though they have tended to be concentrated in some regions more than others. What explains this variation, and more importantly, what role does religion play in fomenting grassroots political activism? Prof. Christopher Hale, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, explains that decentralized religious organization plays an important role in providing the means for groups of individuals to voice discontent. Using the case of Mexico, Prof. Hale notes that religiously-motivated political action has been more common in Chiapas than in Yucatan. Chris lays out a theory that rests upon the decentralization of a religious organization and how lay leadership help to solve collective action problems through more effective monitoring and sanctioning of behavior. He ties this together with other factors such as political theology and religious competition. Chris reflects on how this project prompted him to think more about ideology with respect to institutional incentive structures. Throughout the interview, Tony keeps prompting Chris to cite Tony’s early research, and he eventually does. Whew! Recorded: April 26, 2016.

Christopher Hale’s personal webpage.

Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Society at Chapman University (mentioned in podcast).

The Rebel’s Dilemma, by Mark I. Lichbach (mentioned in podcast).

Popular Movements in Autocracies, by Guillermo Trejo (mentioned in podcast).

Rendering unto Caesar, by Anthony Gill ([finally!] mentioned in podcast).

Waffle House (mentioned in podcast).

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Keith Pavlischek on John Courtney Murray and Dignitatis Humanae

tonygill — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 09:00:42 +0000

With the 50th year anniversary of Dignitatis Humanae three months past, the speedy staff at Research on Religion finally get around to celebrating this monumental document with Dr. Keith Pavlischek, a former Marine Corps officer and author of John Courtney Murray and the Dilemma of Religious Toleration. For those not in the know, Murray was an American Jesuit and theologian whose writings helped to set debate for the Vatican’s new direction with respect to religious freedom and church-state relations.

We begin with a summary of the importance of Dignitatis Humanae in Catholic history and Dr. Pavlischek notes that while it was not a radical disestablishmentarian document, it did bring Church thinking up to date with respect to civil liberties for religious minorities and began to recast how the Holy See would see the role of the state in promoting toleration of religion. We spend time discussing the notion of toleration and Keith reminds us that toleration is not about being forced into liking something, but rather being to live with others who have views you may not like.

Keith and Tony then jump into the history of John Courtney Murray, a Trinitarian theologian who is drawn into issues of religious liberty by a number of Supreme Court decisions in the 1940s, including Everson v Board of Education (1947) and McCollum v Board of Education (1948)that many Catholics saw as an affront to their ability to educate their children. Being a religious minority within a Protestant nation shaped the thinking of Murray on the issue of toleration. Interestingly, Murray’s thought takes a novel direction that argues against both radical secularists and conservative Catholics, forging a new stream of thinking. While he was regularly attacked in the pages of the American Ecclesiastical Review, Murray rose to prominence in Catholic thought earning a cover story in Time Magazine and an invitation to the Second Vatican Council.

Dr. Pavlischek lays out Rev. Murray’s “dilemma of religious toleration,” which revolves around how one can tolerate religious views that one considers to be demonstrably wrong. At the time, there were a few arguments favoring religious freedom including the “modus vivendi” approach and the “thesis-hypothesis” perspective. The former makes a pragmatic argument that in a diverse society it makes sense to accept differences of opinion so as to avoid social conflict. The latter “thesis-hypothesis” thesis was more favored by Catholic intellectuals who hoped that the Church could work to promote a more Catholic society and then eventually move towards having a state church when their faith prevailed. Murray sought to ground a permanent tolerance within a moral framework, relying upon medieval Catholic thought and arguing for the preservation of a broad moral (Christian) consensus within society. Murray concerned himself with the decline of a moral consensus within American society in the 1950s and early ’60s by people he called “barbarians in Brooks Brothers suits.” We discuss how the concepts of subsidiarity and Galician dualism form the basis for Murray’s thinking and how this then influenced the debate at Vatican II.

We finish with some of Dr. Pavlischek’s thoughts on what he learned in the process of writing the book and how he might have changed or amended it in the 20 years since it was published. This brings up a brief discussion of how Islam may have a problem with issues of religious toleration given its monistic (as compared to dualistic) theology. Keith also notes how Murray ended his life on a very pessimistic tone with cultural changes occurring in American society and how he might be very concerned about the direction of the US in contemporary times. Recorded: February 15, 2016.

Ken Kollman on Church Centralization

tonygill — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 09:00:20 +0000

Why do institutions that begin as federations, with power located in (semi-)autonomous units, have a tendency to concentrate power in a central executive authority over time? Prof. Ken Kollman, professor of political science at the University of Michigan and author of Perils of Centralization, discusses his theory of institutional centralization, which he has applied to such entities as the United States, the European Union, and General Motors. For our purposes, though, we concentrate on his theory’s application to the Roman Catholic Church over the past century and a half.

Our conversation begins with a discussion of how Prof. Kollman became interested in this project and how it came to include the Catholic Church as an important case study. He mentions having examined a number of different cases including the Roman Empire and the Iroquois Nation, but explains how he came to concentrate on the US, EU, GM, and the Catholic Church. Tony praises Ken’s examination of the Catholic Church using the tools of political science given that few scholars apply those theoretical and conceptual tools to one of the world’s oldest governing institution. We ruminate about the comparisons of apples and oranges a bit. Ken also provides a bit of a confessional background regarding his own Catholic faith and his brother’s choice to become a priest.

Ken then lays out his general theory of executive centralization. He starts with federated units and then shows how an overarching governing institution designed to coordinate some of these lower-level and autonomous units begins to build a bureaucracy, absorbs the power to define authoritative relationships and decision-making, and then amasses resources that makes it difficult to wrest authority back from this central executive. Ken leads us through five stages of this process beginning with the assent given by the authorities at lower levels to have more decision-making occur at a higher level. This leads to a situation of representative centralization wherein local level authorities have some say in decisions at the center and the center begins to become the locus of greater decision-making. The third (and critical) phase is that of partisanship. This is not about an ideological partisanship based upon world views, but instead is a sorting out process where subunit representatives who have authority at the federal level develop a set of interests that are apart from the interests of those at the local level. Tony brings up the issue of career trajectories of individuals within organizations. As some lower-level authorities may aspire to higher-level office at some point, they have an incentive to allow greater concentration of power at the upper level. Ken agrees that this is an important part of the dynamic process. This all leads to the fourth and fifth stages of executive centralization and “lock-in,” wherein the central executive gains the ability to define the terms of authoritative relationships and through the agglomeration of resources makes it difficult for the process of centralization to be reversed. While decentralization is not impossible at this time, Ken likens the end process to gravity wherein it does take considerable effort to escape the pull. We also talk about the role that various crises play in catalyzing this process.

We then turn to the case of the Roman Catholic Church. Tony notes how well Ken’s theory fits with the Church during its first four centuries, particularly around the time of the Edict of Milan and the First Council of Nicaea. Ken mentions how Church history also shows these ebbs and flows over the course of the medieval era as well. Nonetheless, Prof. Kollman’s research attention hones in on the latter half of the 19th century forward. Following he Wars of the Italian States and the rapid decrease in secular ruling authority exercised by the Vatican, we follow how ecclesiastical authority is increasingly centralized in the papacy and Curia. Ken points out the critical importance of Vatican Council I and how the need to come to terms with increasing modernization and liberal political tendencies in Europe led to more authority being invested in the Curia. Not surprisingly, this is the era where papal infallibility is promoted as an idea of governance. We move throughout history and examine whether Vatican Council II represented a reversal of papal authority. While in many ways an opening to the modern world, we learn that although John XXIII may have been favorable to decentralization within the Church, Paul VI came under pressure from a series of conservative bishops to preserve the central authority of the papacy. This fits well with the notion of “partisanship” and the career interests of those who have risen in the ranks of the religious hierarchy.

We finish off with some thoughts about whether, and how, decentralization might take place. Tony brings up various movements such as Opus Dei and liberation theology that appear to seek greater autonomy at local levels. He also details the story of Leonardo Boff, a Brazilian theologian who was censured by the Vatican for his radical views on church decentralization. Ken ruminates about the possibility that Pope Francis will change the direction of institutional centralization. While pointing out that Francis has been trying to clean up some problems within the Curia, he does not expect to see much of a decentralization of authority any time soon. Recorded: January 21, 2015.

Center for Political Studies (University of Michigan).

Perils of Centralization: Lessons from Church, State, and Corporation, by Ken Kollman.

The American Political System, by Ken Kollman.

Outside Lobbying: Public Opinion and Interest Group Strategies, by Ken Kollman.

The Formation of National Party Systems, by Pradeep Chhibber and Ken Kollman.

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James Felak on Vatican Council II

tonygill — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 09:00:13 +0000

In October of 1962, several thousand cardinals, bishops and other dignitaries met at the Vatican to initiate what would become a three year “meeting of minds” that became known as The Second Vatican Council (a.k.a., Vatican Council II or Vatican II). To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of this momentous gathering, we invite back our favorite historian of modern Catholicism, James Felak, professor of history at the University of Washington. James guides us through a brief history of Christian/Catholic councils dating back to the First Council of Nicaea. All told, there have been 21 general (major) councils. We talk about their general purpose and also note how there was a roughly 300 year gap in major councils before Vatican Council I was called 1868. We review what happened at The First Vatican Council as a way of setting the table for the second one, which was to follow a century later. Prof. Felak lays out the historical context of the mid-19th century that helped to motivate Vatican I, as well as the main issues that were debated and decided at that council, including papal infallibility and the role and autonomy of the bishops. Interestingly, the specific role of the bishops and collegiality was never fully resolved, something that had an impact on Vatican II. We then catapult ourselves into the 20th century to discuss the motivations behind the convening of VCII. James points out, contrary to some popular opinion, that the Catholic Church was not in crisis during the mid-1990s and “crisis” was not a motivating factor behind this council. Although VCII is most associated with John XXIII, James notes that Pope Pius XII was making plans for a general council to reaffirm what was decided at Vatican I. With Pius’s death, though, things change and Prof. Felak nicely summarizes the differences between these two popes and how this shapes what would become VCII. He notes that some of the changes that would occur within the liturgy began with Pius XII, contrary to his image as being more conservative pontiff. Likewise, John XXIII was not as theologically liberal as many people now assume; he just liked to hug people in public, which seems somewhat liberal. Interestingly, we learn that John XXIII was considered to be a “caretaker” pontiff, something that is not uncommon within Catholic history; given John XXIII’s age it was assumed that he would maintain the status of the Church while considerations would be given to who the next pope would be. But lo and behold, John XXIII, who was not likely in on Pius XII’s plans, suprisingly calls a council in 1959. This propels Tony into a little bit of mathematical calculation, noting that there is a 3 1/2 year gap between when Vacican II is announced and when it actually convenes. This generates a discussion about the logistics for such a large event. James fills us in on how decisions were made about who to invite, how much of the council would be open to the general public (via modern media) and other faiths, and who will be setting the intellectual underpinnings of the meeting itself. We even discuss the critical issue of how to house all these people, including members of the media and observers from other faiths who were invited as a means of opening a dialogue about ecumenism. After soliciting opinions about what should be discussed, we discover that the agenda starts to spiral in all different directions, which gives rise to the council’s three-year duration. We start that discussion by noting what was not talked about at the conclave, including birth control, clerical celibacy, and the role of the Curia. James then goes into the wide range of issues that were addressed and brings up the various important documents such as Dignitatis Humanae, Gaudium et Spes and Lumen Gentium. We also chat about the politicking that went on behind the scenes, how media leaks influenced the conference, and what role the US government might have tried to play during the proceedings. In the last 20 minutes of the interview, James discusses the impact that Vatican II has had on the Catholic Church since the 1960s and emphasizes the “spirit of Vatican II” and the tension of getting back to basics (ressourcement) and growing organically with a changing world (aggiornamento). Tony shares his experiences with the folk Mass that he remembers from his childhood. James then disavows some of his misplaced notions about how John Paul II has tried to reverse the reforms of Vatican II; just as John XXIII was not as liberal as popular media portrays him, neither was John Paul II the conservative that he is often made out to be. We finish with Prof. Felak’s thoughts about where the Catholic Church is heading over the next several years. Recorded: December 18, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. James Felak’s biography at the University of Washington.

After Hitler, Before Stalin: Catholics, Communists, and Democrats in Slovakia, 1945-1948, by James Felak.

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Gerald De Maio on the Electoral Religion Gap

tonygill — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 08:00:42 +0000

Visit our Facebook Fan Page to view the editorial cartoon from the 19th century that is mentioned in this interview.

With the election season heating up, we revisit the issue of whether religion plays a role in voting behavior in the United States. Prof. Gerald De Maio, associate professor of political science at Baruch College (City University of New York), discusses his collaborative research with Louis Bolce, a former guest on our podcast (see below). Their research examines the “religion gap” in American politics and how the media and scholary community have overlooked this rather salient feature in electoral politics. We begin by discussing what the “religion (or God) gap” is and Jerry provides some basic statistics from the 2008 presidential election that reveal this gap between regular churchgoers and more secular individuals represents a difference of upwards of 30 – 35%, far eclipsing the more discussed “gender gap” and “age gap.” Only racial differences — largely between African-Americans and Caucasians — are larger. We also discuss how this “religion gap” was once defined denominationally but now is largely an effect of how often one attends religious services and/or maintains orthodox religious beliefs. In other words, whereas there was a Catholic/Protestant divide in electoral politics historically, it is now more common to see regular churchgoing Catholics vote similarly to regular Protestant church attenders. Prof. De Maio provides some theoretical speculation as to why this gap has arisen, noting that it is not just social issues (e.g., abortion, same-sex marriage) that are creating this gulf, but includes economic issues as well. Jerry notes how the cultural change that occured in the 1960s and 1970s affected religious electoral alignments which became visible in the data by the 1980s. It also played a role in redefining the political parties during this era. We then discuss how the “religious gap” plays out in non-white communities, most notably the African-American and Latino communities. While religious African-Americans share many of the same opinions on social issues as conservative white churchgoers, they tend to vote Democrat. Jerry gives his take on this issue and does not see the Republicans making many inroads into the religious African-American and (to a lesser extent) Latino voting bloc in the near future. Following this discussion, we turn to how the media has been reporting the “religion gap” in American politics, with Jerry pointing out that what little discussion there has been about this trend has focussed on the Religious Right as compared to the secular Left, and how the Democratic Party has tried to fix their “religion problem.” A spike in coverage of the “religious gap” in 2004 sent Democrats on the search for more moderate candidates who were more amenable to religious voters, culminating in victories in 2006 and 2008, and making them think they have We close out with some discussions about what this may mean for the upcoming 2012 electoral races. Recorded: July 17, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Gerald De Maio’s biography at Baruch College, CUNY.

Seigal Report on the New York Times, “Preserving Our Readers’ Trust.”

Compromising Scholarship: Religious and Political Bias in American Higher Education, by George Yancey (mentioned in podcast).

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James Felak on Pope Pius XII, the Wartime Pontiff

tonygill — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 08:00:24 +0000

Imagine that you were just appointed the head of the Catholic Church at the outset of the most devastating war ever known to mankind. Further imagine that this war was raging on the continent in which you were headquartered and that you were living in the capital city of one of the primary belligerents of this war. How would you respond knowing that millions of innocent civilians — both Catholic and Jewish — were being slaughtered outright? We take up the life and times of Pope Pius XII, who ascended to the papacy on the eve of Germany’s invation of Czechoslovakia and Poland, with Prof. James Felak, professor of history at the University of Washington. We start out with a brief examination of how popes choose their names and then dive into the nature of the controversy surrounding Pius XII. Interestingly, Prof. Felak notes that Pius XII was widely lauded for his courageous actions during World War II and that the controversy over his seeming “inaction” only emerged in 1963 following the release of Rolf Hocchuth’s play The Deputy. It was reawakened again in 1999 following another book accusing Pius XII of being “Hitler’s pope.” We roll back history a bit to examine the early life of Eugenio Pacelli and his pathway to the “Throne of St. Peter.” We then spend significant time examining the wartime context in which Pius XII found himself in so as to better understand the diplomatic manuevering of the Vatican at this time. Prof. Felak notes how the pope tended to keep his criticism of war attrocities at a general level so as not to endanger the Church in various nations, nor to threaten some of the activities of grassroots Catholic activists in places such as Germany and Poland. This discussion also entails an examination of how the Church functions institutionally with a realization that clergy, religious orders and lay members have a certain degree of autonomy from the Holy See. Following this discussion, we then look at the other proclamations and activities of Pius XII on issues such as medical ethics and how he laid the foundation for the Second Vatican Council. Prof. Felak finishes with some general observations about the legacy of Pius XII and what we can take away from his tenure to better understand our contemporary times. Recorded: July 3, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. James Felak’s biography at the University of Washington.

After Hitler, Before Stalin: Catholics, Communists, and Democrats in Slovakia, 1945-1948, by James Felak.

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Robert Sirico on Markets, Morality, Faith & Freedom

tonygill — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:00:55 +0000

Religious leaders are often quick to criticize free market economics because of the belief that it harms the poor, creates greater inequality, and relies upon the base motives of selfishness. However, can a moral case be made for capitalism and free markets? Rev. Robert Sirico, co-founder and president of The Acton Institute, explores this question in depth. We begin our discussion by reviewing Father Sirico’s personal journey from his idealistic youth in the 1960s and early ’70s to his transformation into a proponent of free market economics. His intellectual development is all the more interesting in that it occured as he was simultaneously drawn back to the Catholic faith of his youth, eventually choosing to enter the seminary and become an ordained priest. During this discussion we review his thoughts on Ayn Rand and other libertarian thinkers such as Friedrich Hayek and Frédéric Bastiat. We then venture into a discussion about greed, selfishness, and self-interest with Rev. Sirico laying out the difference between these different concepts and noting how the pursuit of self-interest can also be good for others as entrepreneurs attempt to benefit themselves by making others happy. Greed, on the other hand, is defined as the pursuit of desire with the intent of subordinating others. Father Sirico then makes a case that socialism tends to promote greed more so than capitalism. This discussion allows us to review early communal experiments by the Pilgrims and Fr. Sirico explains why liberation theologians and others are mistaken to interpret the social organization of the early Church Fathers as an example of socialism. We then discuss the role of profits, the gap between the rich and poor, the nature of envy, and the importance of voluntarism. Our discussion closes with an examination of President Bush’s faith-based initiative (which Rev. Sirico gave some early input on), how government policy (even if pursued with good intentions) may inhibit the important social role of individual charity, and a discussion of the recent controversy surrounding the health care mandate and the Catholic bishops. With the latter issue, we review the tension between a corporatist worldview and the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, a nice review of our earlier discussion with Prof. Phillip Muñoz. Finally, Rev. Sirico details the origins of the Action Institute and his role with that institution. Recorded: May 29, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Rev. Robert Sirico’s biography.

The Acton Institute.

Defending the Free Market: The Moral Case for a Free Economy, but Robert A. Sirico.

“Who Really Was Jon Galt Anyway?” by Robert A. Sirico on Patheos.com (mentioned in interview).

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Phillip Muñoz on Catholic Bishops, Religious Liberty, and Health Care Mandates.

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