Prophetic and Public: The Social Witness of U.S. Catholicism

Contents

Acknowledgments xi Abbreviations and Acronyms xiii Introduction xv CHAPTER ONE Public Theology in Contemporary U.S. Civil Society 1 Philosophical Perspectives on Religion as a Legitimate and Positive Force in Public Life 2 Sociological Perspectives on Religion as a Legitimate and Positive Force in Public Life 12 Notes 18 CHAPTER TWO Catholic Foundations of Public Theology and Political Participation 27 Troeltschian Types and Theological Tensions 28 The Legacy of Vatican II for the Church’s Social Mission 31 Pope John Paul II’s Legacy for Public Engagement 39 Public Theology in the U. S. Context: Diverse Forms and Modes 45 Notes 48 CHAPTER THREE Divergences within American Catholic Social Ethics: J. Bryan Hehir and Michael Baxter, C.S.C. 59 Rev. J. Bryan Hehir and the Public Church 60 Michael J. Baxter and Catholic Radicalism 69 Critical Analysis of Hehir and Baxter 79 Contents Contents x The Models of Hehir and Baxter: Beyond Coexistence 93 Notes 99 CHAPTER FOUR Catholic Political Advocacy in the Contemporary U.S. Context 119 NETWORK 120 Pax Christi USA 128 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 136 Comparative Analysis of Organizations 150 Notes 158 CHAPTER FIVE Catholic Public Theology for the Twenty-first Century 177 Theory and Praxis 177 Conclusions on Public Theology and Political Advocacy 183 Methodological Directives 188 Theoretical Implications 200 Conclusions 205 Notes 206 Bibliography of Primary Sources 215 Index 219 ...