Ecclesia et Civitas

The Recovery of Human Nature

November 6, 2014 James Kalb 0

Like other living things, human beings have a distinct nature as beings of a particular kind. We have conditions we try to bring about, conditions that help us thrive, and characteristic ways of acting, responding […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

What is Culture War?

October 29, 2014 James Kalb 0

A culture is a way of living, a system of habit and attitude, an orientation toward life and the world, that is shared and basically taken for granted within a community. It arises naturally when […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

Liberalism, Choice, and Compulsion

September 15, 2014 James Kalb 0

Social liberals consider traditional moral restrictions cruel in their very essence. Each of us, they believe, should be as free as possible to pursue his happiness as he sees it, consistent with the equal ability […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

The World and the Church

July 11, 2014 James Kalb 0

In his speech closing the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI noted that “the trend of modern culture” is “centered on humanity, … the modern mind” is “accustomed to assess everything in terms of usefulness,” […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

Carrying on the Battle

June 12, 2014 James Kalb 0

The issues that now put Catholics in opposition to secular public thought are too basic to ignore. The Church accepts God as our reference point, and views freedom to develop our relation to Him and […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

Back to Socrates

May 5, 2014 James Kalb 0

Last month I discussed how the assumptions and language of public life today, which are based on commercial and bureaucratic concerns, are biased against Catholics. To make matters worse, the all-pervasive electronic media, increasing reliance […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

Christ in an Age of Technique

April 7, 2014 James Kalb 0

It seems that Catholics have been getting nowhere in the public square lately. The problem is not just losing ground on this issue or that, but an increasing inability to get our issues recognized as […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

Rebuilding Catholic Society

March 10, 2014 James Kalb 0

The Church is not part of the State. Nor is she simply a part of civil society set up by her members to advance their public and private goals. She is an independent society established […]

Ecclesia et Civitas

How Do We Advance Subsidiarity?

February 5, 2014 James Kalb 0

Subsidiarity is integral to a social doctrine based on natural law rather than technology. That ought to be a feature rather than a bug, but in today’s world it means no one can make sense […]