JULY 2021 THE JESUIT REVIEW OF FAITH AND CULTURE THE G.O.P. AND THE AMERICAN By Rachel Lu WORKER p28 Can Catholic social teaching reinvigorate the Republican Party? PLUS: The Catholic Women Writers of Hollywood p20 Kenneth R. Himes on ‘Rerum Novarum’ and the Gig Economy p34 Valerie Schultz on Sex and the Senior Catholic p42 1 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG JULY 2021 AMERICA | PB The Way of Peace Islamophobia Global Catholicism Catholic Social Readings for a Harmonious Life What Christians Should Know Profiles and Polarities Teaching MICHAEL LEACH (and Do) about Anti-Muslim THOMAS P. RAUSCH, SJ A User’s Guide With writings by figures from Discrimination Examines and analyzes the emerg- WILLIAM O’NEILL, SJ Michelle Obama to Thomas Merton, JORDAN DENARI DUFFNER ing patterns and trends that point Presents outlines of both recent and Pope Francis to John Lewis, this Argues that Islamophobia is both a to a Church that is polycentric historic church documents to help anthology will inspire and motivate social justice and a religious freedom rather than European, one that is less Catholics appreciate and share their readers to cultivate peace. issue, and that Christian faith calls us privileged, with more comprehensive rich heritage of following Jesus 978-1-62698-416-5 224pp pbk $20 to stop religious discrimination in governance, an expanded ministry, command to “love one another.” any form. 978-1-62698-410-3 224pp pbk $22 99 Names of God a Church emphasizing dialogue with 978-1-61698-417-2 192pp pbk $24 culture and other religions. DAVID STEINDL-RAST, OSB The Promise The Word 978-1-62698-396-0 256pp pbk $30 Brother David offers meditations on of Deliverance Became Culture all 99 name of God from the Islamic Reading Second Isaiah The Art of Disruptive Cartographers: creed, with beautiful Arabic calligra- MICHAEL CASEY, OCSO Indigenous Doing Theology Latinamente phy of each name. “. Casey’s insightful reading Inculturation MIGUEL H. DÍAZ, editor 978-1-62698-422-6 224pp pbk $20 makes clear that the hard issues Grace on the Edge of Genius “Shows the astonishing strides Latinx faced in the ancient days of Isaiah ANTONIO D. SISON theologians have made in exploring Facing Apocalypse continue to be the hard issues for us the complexities of culture.” Climate, Democracy, Foreword by as well.” —WALTER BRUEGGEMANN — ROBERT SCHREITER and Other Last Chances STEPHEN B. BEVANS, SVD 978-1-62698-408-0 160pp $24 978-1-62698-386-1 152pp pbk $26 CATHERINE KELLER Explores the phenomenon of The acclaimed author of Apocalypse Mindfulness religious inculturation from the Eyes of Compassion Now and Then offers a stunning Walking with Jesus and Buddha perspective of Third World Learning from Thich Nhat Hanh “unveiling” of John’s prophetic text in SISTER ANABEL LAITY postcolonial cultures. JIM FOREST light of the deepening world crisis of This unique introduction to 978-1-62698-421-9 232pp pbk $30 A writer and peacemaker recalls his climate change, environmental dev- mindfulness for western Christians long friendship with Vietnamese astation, and social peril. reveals surprising parallels between Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hanh, 978-1-62698-413-4 176pp pbk $26 Zen and the teachings of Jesus. beginning with their anti-war work in the United States. Illustrations/ 978-1-62698-415-8 192pp pbk $16 photos. 978-1-62698-424-0 160pp pbk $20 From your bookseller or direct ORBIS BOOKS 1-800-258-5838 M-F 8-4 ET Maryknoll, NY 10545 OrbisBooks.com Follow us 2 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG JULY 2021 AMERICA | 3 A Few Questions A significant minority of the Catholic cate that Pope Francis has ever pub- this is the answer I give to my friends Church in the United States are licly denied Communion to a Cath- in Rome) the issue touches on what it once again engaged in a vigorous olic who presented him- or herself means to be a Catholic and an Amer- debate about whether Catholic for Communion. That’s quite telling, ican. politicians should be admitted to holy especially when one considers that It is the question that has vexed Communion if they hold public policy Francis spent a lot of his early priest- Catholics from the moment we first positions at odds with fundamental hood ministering in an overwhelming- stepped forth onto the shores of this Catholic values. Abortion is the issue ly Catholic country that was then ruled culturally Protestant country. Which that predominates. Some believe that by a murderous dictatorship. Presum- comes first: church or country? At a Catholic politician who votes for ably, if ever there were a moment for the end of the day, that is what we pro-choice policies should be barred Francis to publicly deny Communion are really talking about. It’s what we from Communion. Several prominent to a politician, that would have been it, are always talking about, whether we Catholic commentators have weighed but there is no record that he did that. know it or not. Think about it: Do U.S. in, including Archbishop Samuel Which brings me back to now. In senators question whether an Epis- Aquila and Bishop Robert McElroy, the midst of this great debate about copalian should serve on the U.S. Su- who took different positions. And the whether politicians should be ex- preme Court, given that the Episcopal U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops cluded from Communion, has anyone Church in the United States strongly is expected to consider this month bothered to ask whether this actually opposes the death penalty? Did any- a document about this and related happens? I mean, we’ve all heard the one ask Justice Elena Kagan during questions of “eucharistic coherence.” odd story or two—some well docu- her confirmation hearings whether If you are experiencing déjà vu, mented—about a pro-choice politi- she could be impartial on the question you’re not alone. The question I have cian who has been turned away from of Roe v. Wade, considering that the been most frequently asked during my the altar, but if we took a poll of every Rabbinical Council of Conservative visits to Rome is why American Catho- pro-choice and Catholic member of Judaism is pro-choice? Of course not. lics seem singularly obsessed with this Congress, what percentage of them Yet questions like these are routinely issue—not with abortion per se, which would report that this has happened asked of Roman Catholics. But here’s is a grave matter of life and death that to them? I’d venture to guess very few. the thing: They are asked of us because should concern us all, but with the And if we conducted a poll of Catholic we ask them of ourselves. Amy Coney question of who should and should not priests, deacons and eucharistic min- Barrett’s Catholicism was a matter of be admitted to holy Communion based isters and asked whether they would public debate mainly because Cath- on their politics. To my Roman ques- deny Communion to a pro-choice olics publicly debated it. Why? Such tioners, the United States appears to be politician who presented him- or her- debates don’t really happen elsewhere one of the few places where this debate self, what percentage would tell us in the Catholic world. takes place with such regularity, not to that they would? My guess is very few. My point is simply this: When it mention passion. Much of the rest of And, not to put too fine a point on it, comes to Communion and pro-choice the Catholic Church, they point out, what percentage of those ministers of politicians, perhaps Bishop McElroy has made up its mind. Communion would answer the same is right. Or maybe Archbishop Aquila It is well known, for example, way regardless of whether there was is right. Or maybe they’re somehow that St. John Paul II, while celebrat- a diocesan policy about such matters? both right and both wrong. Or maybe, ing the Eucharist with the family of I suspect that the data from this just maybe, they’re asking the wrong British Prime Minister Tony Blair in imagined survey would demonstrate question. And maybe that’s why we 2003, distributed Communion to Mr. that at least at a practical level, Amer- seem unable to ever answer it. Blair, who at the time was not only ican Catholics have settled this ques- pro-choice but an Anglican. And I am tion. And yet, the all-engrossing de- Matt Malone, S.J. aware of no evidence that would indi- bate will rage on, mainly because (and Twittter: @americaeditor. 2 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG JULY 2021 AMERICA | 3 THE ISSUE GIVE AND TAKE DISPATCHES FEATURES 6 12 20 YOUR TAKE THE UNEXPECTED THREAT THE CATHOLIC WOMEN What would you recommend to OF AN IMPENDING WRITERS OF HOLLYWOOD Pope Francis for summer reading? POPULATION BUST The landscape of the entertainment industry is changing. Finally. 8 With vaccinations rising, Catholic James T. Keane OUR TAKE dioceses reopen: Can they do it Our duty in the Holy Land safely? 28 THE G.O.P. AND THE AMERICAN 10 In Myanmar, Sister Ann Rosa Nu WORKER SHORT TAKE Tawng is prepared to risk everything Could Catholic social teaching help Down with credit cards, up with the for peace reinvigorate the Republican Party? minimum wage Rachel Lu Patrick Neve GoodNews: A Brooklyn fifth grader is a cursive champion FAITH & REASON 34 WHAT WOULD POPE LEO SAY? “Rerum Novarum,” workers’ rights and today’s gig economy Kenneth Himes 4 | AMERICAMAGAZINE.ORG CNS photo/Sarah Webb, CatholicPhilly.com Webb, CNS photo/Sarah Students of Drexel Neumann Academy pray during Mass at St.