The American Enterprise Institute
1789 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
6:00 pm
A discussion with Dr. R.R. Reno (First Things), George Weigel (Ethics and Public Policy Center), Prof. Elizabeth Corey (Baylor University), and Prof. Joshua Mitchell (Georgetown University).
This event is co-sponsored by the Thomistic Institute and the Values and Capitalism Initiative at the American Enterprise Institute.
Event Description:
Recent years have seen a resurgence of thought about the age-old topic of Christian engagement in the public square. This is true in the United States in particular, where a historically Judeo-Christian culture is rapidly shifting, church attendance is declining, and once largely shared civic convictions are deteriorating. The 2016 election added another wrinkle to the story, especially for Christians who struggled to rethink political allegiances in light of new realities. All of these developments are necessitating new answers to old questions. Namely, how do Christians engage faithfully and prudently in a pluralistic—and at times, antagonistic—public square?
Hosted by AEI’s Values & Capitalism initiative, in partnership with the Thomistic Institute, please join us for an evening conversation on Christian political principles in our current age. R.R. Reno, editor of First Things, will deliver preliminary remarks before engaging in a moderated discussion with Elizabeth Corey (Baylor University), Joshua Mitchell (Georgetown University), and George Weigel (Ethics & Public Policy Center).
Speaker Bios:
Elizabeth Corey is an associate professor of political science and director of the Honors Program at Baylor University. At Baylor, she teaches topics ranging from political philosophy to art history. Her book Michael Oakeshott on Religion, Aesthetics, and Politics was published in 2006. Dr. Corey has also contributed to First Things, Modern Age, and Library of Law and Liberty. From 2011 to 2013, she served as President of the Michael Oakeshott Association. Dr. Corey earned a B.A. in classics from Oberlin College, M.A. in art history from Louisiana State University (LSU), and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from LSU.
Joshua Mitchell is currently a professor of political theory at Georgetown University. His research interest lies in the relationship between political thought and theology in the West. He has published articles in The Review of Politics, The Journal of Politics, The Journal of Religion, APSR, and Political Theory. His books include Not By Reason Alone: Religion, History, and Identity in Early Modern Thought (University of Chicago Press, 1993); The Fragility of Freedom: Tocqueville on Religion, Democracy, and the American Future (University of Chicago Press, 1995); and Plato’s Fable: On the Mortal Condition in Shadowy Times (Princeton University Press, 2006). He is currently working on a book manuscript entitled Reinhold Neibuhr and the Politics of Hope. After helping establish Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar from 2005–2008, he took a leave of absence from Georgetown and was the Acting Chancellor of the American University of Iraq from 2008 to 2010. Dr. Mitchell earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago.
R. R. Reno is the editor of First Things magazine. He writes essays and opinion pieces on religion, public life, contemporary culture, and current events, which have appeared in the New York Times, Commentary, and the Washington Post. His most recent books include Sanctified Vision: An Introduction to Early Christian Interpretation of the Bible (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005); Fighting the Noonday Devil (Eerdmans, 2011); and Resurrecting the Idea of a Christian Society (Regnery Faith, 2016). Dr. Reno has appeared as a guest on CNN’s Crossfire, EWTN’s Faith & Culture, and numerous radio shows. Formerly, he was a professor at Creighton University for twenty years. Dr. Reno earned his Ph.D. in religious ethics from Yale University.
George Weigel is a distinguished senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC). He holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies. Previously, Mr. Weigel was president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center from 1989 to 1996. In 1999, his biography of John Paul II, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, was published to international acclaim. Mr. Weigel is the author or editor of some twenty other books, including his most recent City of Saints: A Pilgrimage to John Paul II’s Kraków (Image, 2015); Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches (Basic, 2013); Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church (Basic, 2013); and Practicing Catholic: Essays Historical, Literary, Sporting, and Elegiac (Crossroad, 2012). His essays, op-ed columns, and reviews appear regularly in major opinion journals and newspapers across the United States. A frequent guest on television and radio, he is also Senior Vatican Analyst for NBC News. His weekly column, “The Catholic Difference,” is syndicated to eighty-five newspapers and magazines in seven countries. Mr. Weigel received a B.A. from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and an M.A. from the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto. He is the recipient of eighteen honorary doctorates in fields including divinity, philosophy, law, and social science.
