Open to current students and faculty. Lunch will be served.
Recent controversies in Catholic political thought have raised anew the question of the proper relationship between Church and state. In this lunchtime discussion, we will look at fundamental texts from the Catholic intellectual tradition that shed light on this issue. These texts articulate distinctions that show what the state is – and what it is not – as well as what the Church is – and what it is not – so that we can better appreciate how the Church is related to social and political life. Our discussion will be primarily philosophical and theological, paying close attention to the historical setting of the Church’s social teaching and its practical repercussions.