Conversations that Matter: Reimagining Politics in the Light of the Eucharist - Online Webinar
American political life is characterized by hyper-partisanship and polarization. Each election cycle seems to sharpen divisions and deepen political idolatry, while leaving most of us exasperated and exhausted. Yet, the Catholic Church encourages us to participate in politics. Pope Francis expresses the Church’s conviction that politics is “a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good” (EV, 205).
This series explores the Church’s call to participate in political life and the complexities, challenges, and possibilities therein: What is politics? How do Catholics balance the call to participation without making an idol of politics? Is our call to participate exhausted by our duty to vote? What is the mission of Catholics in the public square? What constitutes the public square? How can the Eucharist transform our understanding of politics? Can we envision a world where charity, not political ideology, guides all our actions and decisions?
Episode 2:
Monday, Nov. 18 | 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. EST
Featured Panelists
Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt, Ph.D. earned his Doctorate in Theology and Ethics from Duke University and is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland and a deacon of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, assigned to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. He works primarily in the areas of medieval and modern theology, particularly the interaction of theology and culture. He has published over fifty essays and book chapters and is the author of several books, including The Love That is God: An Invitation to Christian Faith (Eerdmans 2020), which won the 2023 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing, and the recent No Lasting City: Essays on Theology, Politics, and Culture (Word on Fire Academic, 2023).
Kathleen Buckley Domingo, M.A. serves as Executive Director of the California Catholic Conference. Kathleen lobbies on behalf of the 12 Catholic dioceses in California, representing the bishops of California on issues such as human life and dignity, strong healthy families, racial justice, environmental justice, healthcare access, housing, restorative justice, educational excellence and religious liberty. She served for eight years in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as Senior Director of the Office of Life, Justice and Peace. She led OneLife LA, created Respect Life Week, and built the first Caring for the Whole Person diocesan-based program in the nation. Kathleen is a national speaker, writer, and organizer. She regularly shares her insights and resources with dioceses and organizations around the country and internationally. She holds a BS from the University of San Francisco as well as a Certificate from its St Ignatius Institute. She earned a Master’s degree in Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family in Washington, DC. Kathleen and her husband Rocky, along with their two sons Joseph and Owen, are members of Holy Spirit Parish in Sacramento, CA.
Theresa MacArt, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Politics and Public Service at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, IN. She previously held positions as Assistant Professor in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, and as Thomas W. Smith Postdoctoral Research Associate in the James Madison Program at Princeton University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, where she studied the ethics of citizenship in St. Thomas Aquinas, and specifically the role of political prudence in navigating conflicts between moral and civic obligations. Recent publications include “Pietas: A Case for Ethical Patriotism in Aquinas” (The Journal of Politics, 2022), and on the theme of the Eucharist and politics, “Pius XII and the Politics of the Mystical Body” (Public Discourse, 2023).
Episode 1:
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | 12:30 pm EDT
Featured Panelists
F. DeKarlos Blackmon, Ed.D. is the Vice Chancellor for Pastoral Services for the Archdiocese of Louisville. He has completed graduate studies in pastoral ministry, business, and education and holds a doctorate of education. DeKarlos has previously served as the Supreme Knight, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the Knights of Peter Claver (2010-2016), and deputy president and president of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights (2013-2015, 2015-2017). He has also served as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on African American Affairs during the drafting of the 2018 Pastoral Letter Against Racism, Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love. Blackmon is married to Dame Kanobia A. Russell-Blackmon, the chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Louisville.
Robert Dunn, J.D. is the Director of Public Policy for the statewide Diocese of Manchester (NH). Bob’s legal career has included service as an Assistant Attorney General in the NH Department of Justice and as the Assistant Commissioner of the NH Department of Safety. Before taking on his current position with the Diocese, he was the director of government relations for one of New Hampshire’s largest law firms. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of Saint Anselm College, the Board of Directors of New Hampshire Humanities, and the State of New Hampshire Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education. Bob is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and the College of the Holy Cross. He is also a member of the inaugural cohort of the McGrath Institute for Church Life Mathis Liturgical Leadership program. He recently published The Eucharist and the Transformation of Politics in Church Life Journal.
Holly Taylor Coolman, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Theology at Providence College. She earned her Ph.D. at Duke University, and her areas of interest include social dynamics, polarization, and the law. Recent publications include "Polarization and its Discontents" in Polarization in the US Catholic Church: Naming the Wounds, Beginning to Heal (2016), and "'Danger Invites Rescue': An Argument for Legal Protection of Unborn Life," in the Journal of Moral Theology (Vol. 12, Issue 1, 2023).