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Global Initiative Sought for Protection of Christians OF MANY THINGS he work of John Courtney “Unfortunately, this instrument has 106 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019-3803 Murray, S.J., once an associate become blunt,” he has said. Benedict Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596 editor of this review, continues believes that when considering the Subscriptions: 1-800-627-9533 T www.americamagazine.org to dominate political theology in the natural law tradition in a political facebook.com/americamag United States. Most students of Father context, one must account for the fact twitter.com/americamag Murray turn first toWe Hold These that, among modern thinkers, it is an , Murray’s most accomplished open question whether “there might PRESIDENT AND EDITOR IN CHIEF Truths Matt Malone, S.J. and well-known articulation of his exist a rationality of nature and, hence, a EXECUTIVE EDITORS principal thesis: that Catholicism and rational law for man and for his existence Robert C. Collins, S.J., Maurice Timothy Reidy American democracy are essentially in the world.” MANAGING EDITOR Kerry Weber compatible “because the contents of [the I would add that part of the reason LITERARY EDITOR Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. American public] consensus—the ethical why natural law theory is effectively SENIOR EDITOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT and political principles drawn from a “blunt instrument” is that it has Kevin Clarke the tradition of natural law—approve been detached from its theological EDITOR AT LARGE James Martin, S.J. themselves to the Catholic intelligence presuppositions in the misguided and EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AMERICA FIlmS Jeremy Zipple, S.J. and conscience.” vain hope of rendering it more “credible” POETRY EDITOR Joseph Hoover, S.J. Father Murray viewed “the fact that in the officially agnostic public square. ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND VATICAN CORRESPONDENT the American political community was True, Father Murray believed that the Gerard O’Connell organized in an era when the tradition natural law is theoretically inseparable SENIOR EDITOR Edward W. Schmidt, S.J. of natural law and natural rights was from its theological presuppositions. ENGAGEMENT AND COmmUNITY EDITOR still vigorous” as nothing less than But what Father Murray and his Elizabeth Tenety ASSOCIATE EDITORS Ashley McKinless, Olga Segura providential. This is because the natural followers failed to appreciate fully is ASSISTANT EDITORS Francis W. Turnbull, S.J., law tradition, according to Murray, is a the extent to which natural law theory Joseph McAuley neutral theo-philosophical language, one and its theological presuppositions are ART DIRECTOR Sonja Kodiak Wilder in which we are all fluent by virtue of truly inseparable in practice. For the COLUMNISTS Helen Alvaré, John J. Conley, S.J., our human nature. Thus the language of natural law to be genuinely intelligible, Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., James T. Keane, John W. Martens, Bill McGarvey, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, natural law should be the lingua franca of credible and liveable, then, it must be Margot Patterson, Nathan Schneider, Robert David political philosophy in a pluralist society. appropriated in the context of love, in the Sullivan Yet there have been challenges to context of a living relationship with the CORRESPONDENTS John Carr (Washington), An- thony Egan, S.J., and Russell Pollitt, S.J. (Johannes- Murray’s appropriation of natural law. lawgiver who is loving creator. Without burg), Jim McDermott, S.J. (Los Angeles), Timothy Jean Porter, for example, has critiqued love, the law is reduced to its bare Padgett (Miami), Steven Schwankert (Beijing), Murray’s predominantly neo-scholastic ethical content, which cannot sustain an David Stewart, S.J. (London), Judith Valente (Chi- cago), Mary Ann Walsh, R.S.M. (U.S. Church) authentically human calculus. reading of natural law. But none other MODERATOR, CATHOLIC BOOK CLUB than Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, both It is naïve to think that we can devise Kevin Spinale, S.J. as pope and as a working theologian, a common moral framework simply by EDITORIAL E-MAIL has also commented on the relationship giving theoretical lip service to the divine. [email protected] of the natural law tradition to political Attempts to apply reason without faith, theology. According to Benedict, we says Benedict, are also unhistorical, for PUblISHER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Edward Spallone. DEPUTY PUblISHER Rosa Del Saz. VICE may not need natural law to articulate a the state is not self-justifying but receives PRESIDENT/ADVANCEMENT Daniel Pawlus. DEVEL- doctrine of human rights because “it is, “its basic [philosophical] support from OpmENT COORDINATOR Kerry Goleski. OPERATIONS of course, possible for the contemporary outside: not from a mere reason that is STAFF Chris Keller, Glenda Castro. ADVERTISING CONTACT [email protected]; 212-515-0102. consciousness to be content with the inadequate in the moral realm, but from SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT/ADDITIONAL COPIES inherent obviousness of these values.” a reason that has come to maturity in the [email protected]; Benedict would not deny that there historical form of faith.” Accordingly, “the 1-800-627-9533 are objective philosophical and moral real problem that confronts us today,” © 2015 America Press, Inc. principles at work in such claims; he just writes Benedict, “is reason’s blindness wonders, as a practical matter, whether to the entire nonmaterial dimension of such principles must be explicit. reality.” But Benedict has also expressed mild In other words, it may be time to start king for a new lingua franca. skepticism about the general explanatory Cover: The ceiling of a damaged church in power of the natural law tradition: MATT MALONE, S.J. Donetsk, Ukraine. Reuters/Marko Djurica Contents www.americamagazine.org VOL. 212 NO. 11, WHOLE NO. 5084 MARCH 30, 2015 ARTICLES 14 SHOWDOWN IN UKRAINE A path to peace and Europe’s future Antoine Arjakovsky 19 THE WISDOM OF OZ Taking the long way home William J. O’Malley COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Current Comment 14 5 Editorial A Space for Women 6 Reply All 8 Signs of the Times 13 Column Seduced by ISIS Margot Patterson 23 Vatican Dispatch Making Room for Women Gerard O’Connell 25 Faith in Focus Lifting Veronica’s Veil Silas Henderson Transformed From Within Ryan Rooney 29 Generation Faith Padre’s Portrait Courtney Saponaro 31 Philosopher’s Notebook Ionesco Again John J. Conley 39 The Word An Empty Tomb 25 John W. Martens BOOKS & CULTURE 32 TELEVISION “Call the Midwife” BOOKS ON THE BIBLE Many Voices, One Spirit ON THE WEB Amy-Jill Levine, right, talks about her book Short Stories by Jesus on “America This Week.” Plus, the Catholic Book Club discusses Christ, Actually, by James Carroll. Full digital highlights on page 13 and at americamagazine.org/ webfeatures. 34 CURRENT COMMENT That would be a shame. Few government programs Sitting Down With Iran can boast the kind of clinically proven results achieved by In an open letter to senior leadership in Congress dated the best home visiting programs. Randomized controlled Jan. 13, Bishop Oscar Cantú, chair of the Committee trials have found quality programs reduce child neglect on International Justice and Peace of the United States and abuse as well as mortality rates for infants and Conference of Catholic Bishops, made the case for mothers. And the positive effects can last for years. The patience in the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. He program has also been found to reduce participating also wisely urged “avoidance of any measures that might families’ later dependence on government welfare. jeopardize the prospects for a diplomatic solution that can In his budget for fiscal year 2016, President Obama advance peace in the region.” requested $500 million to support home visiting programs Unfortunately, just such an ill-advised measure was put and $15 billion over the next 10 years. Studies show that forward by Senate leaders on March 9 in a letter to Iranian such an investment in infant and maternal well-being leadership warning that any deal with the United States would be more than recouped by cost savings down the could be undone when President Obama leaves office. The road. The Catholic Church teaches that life starts at letter was a reckless gesture, but we hope it will not derail conception. So should our generous support for expecting the negotiations. Iran’s religious leaders remain committed mothers living in poverty. to the talks, and the P5-plus-1 team of negotiators is still hoping to reach the framework of an agreement before the deadline on March 31. Gasoline on the Fire? There is no valid path forward other than negotiation. After the grisly executions of Kenji Goto and Haruna As Secretary of State John Kerry said, “Folks, simply Yukawa by Islamic State militants, Japanese Prime Minister demanding that Iran capitulate is not a plan.” Critics worry Shinzo Abe told Japan that he would “make the terrorists that the current proposal, which reportedly would allow pay the price.” Not exactly surprising political rhetoric, inspections, limit Iran’s capacity to produce nuclear fuel especially considering the circumstances. But coming from and force them to surrender fuel stockpiles in exchange the leader of a nation whose modern constitution was for the lifting of sanctions, would expire in 10 or 15 years. conceived with the idea of turning it back from some of the Yes, Iran could start compiling weapons again at that time. military outrages of its own recent past, the comment was But a lot could happen before then, too. The campaign for noted with concern. nuclear nonproliferation will progress only if negotiators Mr. Abe has already taken steps to unravel Japan’s post- stay the course. Patience is not a word one associates with war pacifism; in July, he pushed through new legislation U.S. foreign policy, but in this case it is a virtue to be that allows Japan to join allies in a collective response to embraced.
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