Journalism, Media, and Catholicism: An Interview with Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig

November 3, 2016 Millennial

In case you missed it, Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October was for journalists. In choosing this intention, the pope was challenging Catholics to be more reflective about how our participation in the common good is dependent on those who practice journalism as a profession. To explore this more, I reached out to Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig, who is the assistant editor at PostEverything and Outlook for the Washington Post and will be a contributing writer for America, writing on religion, politics, and public life, starting in 2017.

In our interview, she discusses both how Catholicism informs her work and how she believes it should inform other Catholics in their efforts to bring about what Pope Francis calls “a culture of encounter”.

How do you see principles of Catholic social teaching informing your work?

We all have an obligation in our own work to pursue the common good. For journalists, I think about it in terms of advancing stories that are true, first and foremost, and that are relevant to the public interest. In my editing work, I try to seek out stories that I feel address issues that are being under-addressed.

The two sections I post in—Post Outlook and Everything—are very diverse sections. They are both devoted to having broad conversations. So, for example, since I know both the communities in the Catholic world and the specific political writers who write from a Catholic perspective, I try to seek out people from those groups to contribute pieces for us when relevant. For example, we have a Catholic medical student, Chris Landry, working on a story about how Zika warnings have caused abortion demand to far outpace what the likely incidence of microcephaly will really be. We’ve also invited Charlie Camosy to write on the potential of a pro-life left.

In working on all of these stories, I feel like I am offering people an opportunity to see perspectives that they may not see very often.

What would you say about the importance of people reading about big picture events that may not directly relate to their own everyday experience? How do these larger questions still relate to our common good?

One of the things I really like about journalism looked at in terms of Catholic Social Teaching is that there is a subsidiarity principle at play. Local papers do a lot to keep ordinary people informed about what is going on in their particular town, and then larger papers like the Post or the Times take on the role of informing people of what is happening nationally or even globally.

These larger papers invite people to partake in the common good by keeping them informed about issues that are going on in other countries and that are affecting the globe, like climate change or Zika. For example, there’s a great piece coming in soon about corruption and climate change in Honduras. We also, of course, try to keep our readers informed about national conflict.

When we inform people about these things, we invite them to participate in the common good and common life of other countries and to even take action if they feel that it is needed. Read More

The Beginning of the End for the Death Penalty? An Interview with Karen Clifton

October 31, 2016 Millennial

As voters in California and Nebraska get ready to determine the fate of the death penalty in their states next week, Millennial editor Robert Christian interviewed Karen Clifton, the Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, which “proclaims the Church’s pro-life teaching and prepares Catholics for informed involvement in the public debate to end the death penalty and promote restorative justice”:

Proposition 62 in California, which would repeal the death penalty, looks to be a closely contested race. What would a victory in this race mean for the anti-death penalty cause?

The repeal in California would be big news for the repeal movement in the United States . Repeal in California would immediately remove a third of the death row population in this country. It would also send a strong message— due to the size of California and the diversity of its population—that the nation does not want or need the death penalty anymore. Many people say, so goes California, so goes the rest of the country.

Support for the death penalty has reached a 45-year low. What do you think accounts for this decline? Do you think this trend will be durable and that support will continue to decline?

We have the means to defend people from people who kill within our prison system. A strong reason for the decline is the 156 exonerees. One in nine of those executed have been proven to be innocent on death row. The system is beyond broken. The death penalty has a wide rippling effect. The stories of friends and family members of the perpetrators and the victims, the prison personnel and attorneys have changed hearts and minds. Victim’s family members are promised closure and peace with the death penalty and find the results only bring about another grieving family. Victim’s families have made strong statements about how killing another person does not honor their loved one. Using violence to teach violence is wrong and has not worked in our society. People are tired of violence and are in need of healing and a justice that is restorative to those affected by crime.

Despite declining support, the US remains an outlier among stable democracies in terms of our use of the death penalty. Why do you think that’s the case?

Most countries do not have access to guns and do not have the murder rates we do. Americans have been slow to learn from other nations who have focused on restoring people and addressing the issues of why people commit crimes in the first place.

Supporters of the death penalty argue that abolishing it means being soft on crime and that vulnerable populations actually suffer most from increased violent crime. How would you respond to those critics?

States that do not have the death penalty have a lower crime rate than those that do. It has been proven that the crime rate goes up after an execution. Not having the death penalty is not soft on crime. Life without parole has been considered a much harsher punishment. 124 of those executed have elected to be killed rather than live on death row. Focusing on the rehabilitation of oneself is not an easy task.

If you were to meet with Hillary Clinton to discuss the death penalty, what would you say to her?

As a country, we need to strive to become better. We are the only western country with this practice. It is expensive and diverts money from programs that could be used to assist the victims and those affected by the crime. It fosters vengeance and does not promote healing, neither for the victim or their families nor the perpetrator or their families. We have a prison system that is able to protect society from those who kill. The death penalty is disproportionately used on people of color, intellectually and mentally disabled, and those living in poverty.

Trump is the ‘Most Flawed Candidate Ever’: An Interview with John Kenneth White

September 29, 2016 Millennial

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John Kenneth White is a professor of politics at the Catholic University of America, who has written extensively on the American party system, elections, and the US presidency. His most recent book is What Happened to the Republican Party?: And What It Means for American Presidential Politics. Millennial writer Daniel Petri and editor Robert Christian asked him to share his thoughts on the 2016 presidential election:

What were you thoughts on the first debate?

I never saw anything like the first debate in my entire life! It has been the custom that candidates are civil toward one another, even if they have had serious policy disagreements. What we had here was a major party, the Republicans, nominating a candidate for the presidency who is the most unqualified, inept, and character-flawed candidate ever! The debate was reality television meets presidential debate, and it wasn’t pretty.

How would you place Donald Trump’s candidacy in a historical context?

The most flawed candidate ever. The closest analogy may be when the Republicans nominated another businessman, Wendell Willkie, who had been a former Democrat (like Trump) in 1940. The difference is that Willkie was serious; Trump is not.

Do you think Catholics are going to swing heavily toward Hillary, as some polls suggest? If so (or not), why?

There is no Catholic vote. Catholics do not bring their religious identity anymore into the voting booth. There is an Hispanic vote (thanks to demography) that will swing heavily toward the Democrats.

Will this election continue the demographic trends we’ve been seeing in past elections or create a new dynamic?

Yes, the demographic trends established in 2008 and 2012 will continue, albeit in some modified form in 2016. The shifts in our political demography are inevitable and unchangeable. The only thing that can change is the parties’ response (especially the Republicans) toward them. And by every measure, the GOP is in worse shape on this important factor than they were in 2012 (see the so-called autopsy report–officially named the Growth and Opportunity Project).

Do you have a prediction for election day?

Clinton.

An Interview with US Senate Candidate Caroline Fayard of Louisiana

September 21, 2016 Millennial

Caroline Fayard is one the top candidates in this year’s US Senate race in Louisiana, currently polling first among Democrats in the race. Millennial editor Robert Christian asked her about her views on public service, her faith, and more in the following interview.

Why are you running for the Senate?

Growing up in Livingston Parish, I have been very fortunate to have parents who never set limits for me. They told my brother and me the same thing, which I think is important for young people to hear – you can be whatever you want to be in this life. It was with their voices in mind that I was able to become valedictorian of my high school class at Episcopal in Baton Rouge, established my very own law practice in Louisiana, and helped start GLO Airlines based in New Orleans. I never let doubts about my drive or capabilities as a woman stand in my way. I let them motivate me.

I’ve been fortunate for my blessings, but I’ve also seen a lot of hardship that Louisiana has endured during my lifetime. I’ve lived through the struggles that we’ve all had to overcome as a community: the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina & Rita, the BP Oil Spill, and the mismanagement of our state government by Bobby Jindal. And our challenges are not over. Now we’re facing the highest gender wage gap in the nation, the highest incarceration rate, and failing marks in education, all the while tackling the tremendous challenge that the historic floods have brought upon our state in part by climate change. Louisiana needs a new voice and a new generation of leadership to face these challenges. It will take forward thinkers to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.

I am running because we need a new generation of leadership. A new direction and a new approach in Washington. And I am proud to be one of the only women in this race. It’s important for me to represent the folks out there who are tired of the same old political games being played by my opponents. I believe it’s time for a new generation to stop playing the same political games of the past 40 years and go to work to make sure Louisiana is a great state for this generation and the next. That is why I am running.

I first heard about your campaign at the Governor Casey Whole Life Leadership Award reception, where Gov. John Bel Edwards was the recipient. Does that ‘whole life’ approach reflect your approach to human life and dignity? What role does protecting the vulnerable play in your approach to politics?

I find the “whole life” approach refreshing because in today’s 24-hour political news cycle, folks tend to focus in on certain issues or one aspect of issues without taking into account the meaning or symbolism behind the policies. If we truly care about life, we need to focus on human lives holistically, both in terms of their quality and vitality. It breaks my heart to constantly see Louisiana near the bottom in education and poverty year after year. And I truly believe that most, if not all, people want to work, want to better their lives, but often they are not given the chances or the resources early on to succeed. In order to help folks better their lives, to make our state more economically vibrant, we need to come together and do our best to provide the resources needed for development in all communities, not just the few.

How does your Catholic faith influence you as a person and how you approach public service?

As Catholics, it is important to always challenge ourselves to reflect on the world through the lens of social justice, and I believe a large component of that starts with understanding others. I do my best to keep this perspective, to listen to others when they are talking, and to truly hear their point of view. In politics, it is so easy to get caught up in partisanship and labels, but behind every Democrat or Republican, there are usually people who want to help, want to do right by people. I do my best to always see issues from the other’s perspective. Read More

Public Faith: An Interview with Michael Wear

September 12, 2016 Millennial

Public Faith is a new organization for “Christians who share a commitment to orthodox Christian faith and a belief in working toward the common good through politics towards a just and flourishing society.” One of the founding members is Michael Wear, the Founder of Public Square Strategies LLC, and the author of the forthcoming book Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America. Millennial editor Robert Christian interviewed Wear on Public Faith:

How did Public Faith come together, and what was the impetus for creating it?

Public Faith came together as a result of a shared sense that there is a broad swath of Christians out there who do not feel represented in our politics–they feel alone. And yet they are not content to withdraw from politics. They’re looking for solidarity with other faithful Christians who agree on core implications of Christian teaching for our politics, and to join their voices with others to influence our politics. This is very much the concrete reality of how Alan Noble and I started to discuss the idea of Public Faith. As we developed the idea we consulted with others, many of whom are our Founding Members, and decided this was a key moment to step out and offer a different vision of politics in what is a very cynical environment.

The mission statement calls for strengthening efforts to combat poverty and advance human rights around the world. With ‘America First’ and similar nationalistic and isolationist sentiments seemingly on the rise, why it is important for Christians to stand up for these types of global efforts?

As Christians, we recognize the dignity of every human being, not just Americans. We have been blessed as a people and as a nation with great resources and a great responsibility comes with that. We have an obligation as individuals, through our churches and charities, and yes, through our politics, to advocate for and come to the aid of those who are suffering. I’d also just add that as people like Michael Gerson, Brian Grim, and former USAID Administrator Raj Shah have so persuasively pointed out, global poverty and human rights violations have real economic and national security implications for our nation that require our attention.

In most of the world, climate change is not a partisan or ideologically divisive issue, like it is in the United States. Is there a role for Christians to play in breaking the deadlock on this issue here in the US?

Of course there is, and we can do this by offering a narrative that affirms neither the narrative of complacency on one side, nor the narrative of scarcity and materialism that is represented by others in this conversation. This world is God’s, He made it, and we have a responsibility to be good stewards of it. In other parts of the world, climate change is not partisan because its consequences are so apparent and threatening. Read More

Revitalizing Catholic Culture: An Interview with Anna Keating

July 12, 2016 Millennial

Anna Keating is a blogger, writer, small business owner, and mother of two. She’s the co-author, along with Melissa Musick, of The Catholic Catalogue: A Field Guide To the Daily Acts That Make Up a Catholic Life. You can read an excerpt from the book here and Millennial’s review of the book here. The following is an interview with Anna Keating by Millennial editor Robert Christian:

Robert Christian (RC): The idea of a field guide to the daily acts of a Catholic life seems premised on the need for instruction or guidance in the absence of a robust Catholic culture where such traditions would be passed down orally or in another more organic way. What do you think has been lost with the collapse of this culture in certain areas or simply its absence in other areas?

Anna Keating (AK): I grew up a few blocks from my maternal grandmother. She was born in 1918 in Tulia, Texas. She called people “good ole boys” in her Southern accent, and said things like “She took to him like a sick kitten to a hot brick.” My grandmother died a few years ago, and I’m already starting to forget her sayings. If you don’t use the language, or record it, it’s lost. It happens very fast. That’s what’s happening with our faith. We don’t know the words or the works. We don’t remember how our grandmother used to braid those palms on Palm Sunday, or what braiding them was all about, or why our aunt was always making sick people casseroles. It’s vanishing.

Many of us didn’t grow up with these customs, with this way of seeing the world, even if we grew up Catholic. Stumbling upon this ancient way of life in this book, or elsewhere, is almost like discovering a foreign country.

Of course, we don’t want to idealize the past. Part of why American Catholic culture was more robust in the early and mid 20^th century was because of Nativism. The KKK burned a cross in my great grandfather’s front yard because he was Catholic immigrant. We held onto our beliefs, in part, because of persecution and ghettoization.

Now we face the opposite problem of being mainstreamed. The faith gets boiled down. Reduced to a couple of bullet points. We live in an increasingly homogenized world. I’m intrigued by these ancient Christian habits, but often have no idea where to begin.

That’s why my coauthor, Melissa Musick, and I, wanted to write a resource that met people where they were (spiritual but not religious, Catholic, ex-Catholic, Protestant, agnostic). We wanted the book to be a field guide, an open window, a way in. Just pick one thing that resonates with you and try it. And then one thing leads to another, and another, and so on.

RC: Do you think there are particular challenges and/or opportunities when it comes to millennials and the revival of Catholic cultural practices?

AK: As a generation, we’re uncomfortable with truth claims and mysteries. There aren’t many grand narratives anymore, except the ones that are so ubiquitous as to be invisible to us (e.g. utilitarianism).

We pick and choose from various moralities and symbol systems, but we tend not to put down roots. It’s an awful burden, in a way, to have an endless number of choices, especially when you don’t have any formative experiences with any of them and aren’t well informed about what it is you’re accepting or rejecting.

Sometimes we choose not to choose, out of the fear that picking a path and walking it will limit us in some way.

But I also think Millennials want to dive in, to taste and see, to feel alive, even if that means making sacrifices.

We’ve gone so far in the opposite direction (individualism, consumerism, nihilistic tendencies) that we’re ripe for a renewal. Millennials want more than nice stuff and endless distractions. They want love, meaning and purpose.

And they’re interested in rediscovering beautiful practices. Growing real food. Walkable neighborhoods. Religious life. Working with their hands. Buying local. Sacred art and architecture. Chant. Contemplation and meditation. Marian devotions. Jesus. Helping the poor and the environment. Social action. Building community. Nonviolence.

Of course, being different can be unappealing. It’s natural to want to be accepted and well liked. And to love anything is to risk being misunderstood or mocked, or put in a box. Wasn’t it Flannery O’Connor who said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd”?

People have told me my shoes were cool, or that owning a small business was cool, or that my kids were great, but no one has ever told me that being a Catholic is cool. They’ve seen certain practices and found them compelling, but they could do without the label. But even that can be liberating. If you’re someone like me who suffers from the disease of caring too much about what other people think, it’s good to cultivate a healthy detachment, to, humbly and with a sense of humor, walk your path. Read More

Every Living Thing: How Pope Francis, Evangelicals, and other Christian Leaders are Inspiring All of Us to Care for Animals

June 6, 2016 Christoper White

An Interview with Christine Gutleben of The Humane Society of the United States

In Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, he tasks the entire world with a greater care and concern for creation. In recent years, one major area in which this call has been heeded on a practical level is the recent alliance between pro-lifers and pro-animal welfare activists. As someone who is convinced that Christians have a moral obligation to care for animals and oppose cruelty, I’m a proponent of the work of the Humane Society of the United States, which has a great history of promoting animal welfare, particularly among Christians. Christine Gutleben is the Senior Director of Faith Outreach for the Humane Society, and she recently spoke with me about both the history and the future of this noble cause.

Christopher White (CW): The Humane Society has a deeply entrenched historical relationship with Christian leaders. Can you give us some background on this?

Christine Gutleben (CG): The Humane Society of the United States has acknowledged the important role of faith in animal advocacy since it was founded 60 years ago. The first Chairman of the Board, Robert Chenoweth, said during his first annual presentation to the members of HSUS, “Our faith is that there is a God who created all things and put us here on earth to live together. Our creed is that love and compassion is due from the strong to the weak.” Since then, two previous Presidents of The HSUS were clergy and their leadership spanned 35 years, more than half of the organization’s existence. One of them, John Hoyt, was a Presbyterian minister and he described his work with The HSUS as a ministry that benefited both people and animals.

CW: Why, in your opinion, should people of faith—particularly Christians—care about animals?

CG: My primary goal at The HSUS is to encourage people to think about our dealings with animals in moral terms. Animal welfare is less about animals than it is about ourselves and our values. And Christian values are grounded in caring for the “least of these.” The Bible is clear that we are to extend God’s mercy to the vulnerable and this includes the animal kingdom. Read More

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