Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Christian Social Thought

July 14, 2020

Integralism’s biggest fallacy

Recently, conservative circles have seen a sharp uptick in support for “Integralism.” Integralism is the belief that “the state should officially endorse the Catholic faith and act as the secular arm of the Church by punishing heresy among the baptized and by restricting false religious practices if they threaten Catholicism,” according to Robert T. Continue Reading...
June 25, 2020

America’s two warring views of race

America’s current racial strife has roots deeper than recent controversies involving the police. One factor greatly exacerbating these tensions is the contrast in worldviews over the relative importance of “race” in one’s life and how those in dialogue view the American founding, according to Ismael Hernandez, executive director of the Freedom and Virtue Institute and a longtime lecturer at Acton University. Continue Reading...
June 17, 2020

Justice needs a face

In the wake of George Floyd’s tragic death and the subsequent swell of protests, we are surrounded by resounding cries for justice—both in this particular case and across the issues of over-policing, over-criminalization, and systemic racism. Continue Reading...
April 16, 2020

Lord Acton, Sohrab Ahmari, and the fragility of faith

People have been making some drastic changes to their lives to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have taken this challenge as an opportunity to grow in wisdom. Others have been called to learn new skills, and still others are doing whatever they can to keep their bearings in a time of crisis. Continue Reading...
April 15, 2020

Civil society in a time of pandemic

As the coronavirus spreads, federal, state, and local governments are wrestling with how to handle the crisis. So are civil associations, churches, businesses, and families. The role of civil society is often neglected, but it could be the most important. Continue Reading...
April 15, 2020

Hope: the theological, economic virtue

On Holy Saturday, I wrote the last of my series of “Lentenomics” articles on virtues and the good economy for the Italian daily La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana. I invited readers to reflect on “Hope: In ourselves and in our exchanges with others and God.” Continue Reading...