The Catholic Church and Liberal Democracy

Description

The Roman Catholic Church's critical stance towards liberalism and democracy following the French Revolution and through the 19th century was often entrenched, but the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s saw a shift in the Church's attitude towards democracy. In recent years, a conflict has emerged between Church doctrine and modern liberalism under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. This book is a comprehensive overview of the Catholic Church's relationship to modern liberal democracy, from the end of the 18th century until today. It is a connection that is situated within the context of the history of ideas itself. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Foreword List of abbreviations 1 Introduction Departure and reorientation Modern democracy Historical roots Freedom as a right Modernity Critique of democracy Overview of the presentation Sources and literature 2 Europe’s political-theological problem Political theology as theology of history Natural Law – philosophy and theology From political-religious unity to the hegemony of the secular 3 Revolution, religion and Church The situation of the Church under republican rule Human Rights Declaration of 1789 A new beginning for mankind The revolution’s understanding of itself The Church in a “totalitarian democracy” The end of the revolution and the concordat between Napoleon and the Holy See 4 A new concept of politics Nature and politics “Old” and “new” From biology to rationality From nature to history and free reason 5 The Church’s defense against liberalism and democratization in the 1800s “Shepherd of the Lord’s flock” – a defensive strategy Pope Pius IX and Catholic anti-modernity The First Vatican Council Political Catholicism The Leonine program for social democracy The philosophy of the Church Freedom, society and state 6 Ecclesial powerlessness Between the world wars – an ordeal for the Church The Church and the modern violation of the human dignity 7 On the way to the Second Vatican Council Pope Pius XII’s political reorientation International breakthrough for human rights Philosophical and theological reorientation in the Church 8 The Second Vatican Council A council for the modern world The main issue of the council 9 Church – freedom – history The Church Signs of the times Man’s dignity and the freedom of religion Pastoral cultural-diaconal ministry – religiosity and humanity The Second Vatican Council – as an attempt at reconciliation? Council and conflict 10 The postconciliar crisis between the Church and liberal democracy From restoration to revolt Liberalism and Catholicism in conflict 11 Pope John Paul II and modern culture The concept of democracy in the encyclical Centesimus Annus Learning from the experience with the totalitarian state Authentic democracy Developing the theology of the council Truth is the precondition for morality – the encyclical Veritatis Splendor Theonomy as horizon Conflict over life The self-contradiction of liberal democracy Assent and critique – democracy on Catholic premises 12 Benedict XVI – pope of a new millennium The presence of the Church in the world Pope Benedict’s theory of the person Justice and political power Freedom, truth, and rights The Church’s cultural criticism – Europe’s crisis Pope Benedict and Jürgen Habermas about liberal democracy Rationality grounded in revelation, in conflict with the modern reason Political utopia and Christian eschatology 13 Pope Francis – and the monism of modernity The four principles Critical perspective Man’s relation to the world Mercy A final comment 14 The Church’s encounter with political modernity Index