This article examines the theological symbiosis or lack thereof between Joe Biden, Pope Francis and the US Catholic bishops. My argument is that Joe Biden and Pope Francis model authentic Catholic Social Teaching and faith in the public square, especially the former who, as a non-ecclesiastic doesn’t have to. I find the US Catholic bishops ambivalent. They talk a good game but walk an ambivalent one. I point to three examples: how they demonised Joe Biden during his campaign for the US presidency, canonised Donald Trump and how they have dealt with sexual abuse by priests, bishops and cardinals. In this latter case, I reluctantly agree with the views of a rogue Prince of the Church, Carlo Maria Viganò. The unusual triumvirate of Joe Biden, Pope Francis and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops which I examine here are held up to the litmus test of Catholic Social Teaching.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Democracy’s Achilles’ Heel in a Disunited States of America
3. Political Theory, Politics of Power and Catholic Social Teaching
i. Liberalism and its Critics
ii. Liberal Egalitarianism
iii. Communitarianism and Political Theory
iv. Feminism and Political Theory
v. Democracy and Critical Theory
vi. Green Political Theory
vii. Post-Structuralism and Political Theory
4. Politics of Power and the Catholic Church as a Political Actor
5. Models of Secular Political Power
i. The Homo Politicus Model
ii. Political Power as Coercion Model
iii. The Common-Sense Model
iv. The Liberal Model
v. The Epicurean Model
vi. The Anarchistic Model
vii. The Marxist or Leftist model
viii. The Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Model
ix. The Liberal Democrat Model
6. US Bishops, Donald Trump and Joe Biden: An Unhappy Triumvirate
7. Spiritual Heirs of Borgias and Medici: A Disease Called Unchecked Clericalism
8. A Rogue Prince of the Church and Sexual Abuse in the US
9. Joe Biden, Pope Francis, US Bishops and Catholic Social Teaching
i. Life and Dignity of the Human Person
ii. Family, Community and Participation
iii. Rights and Responsibilities
iv. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
v. The Dignity of Labour and the Rights of Workers
vi. Solidarity
vii. Care for God’s Creation
10. Faith in the Public Square
11. Walking and Chewing Gum at the Same Time
12. When an Irish-American Future President Meets an Italo-Argentinian Pope
13. A Catholic President, a Disunited States of America and the Soul of a Nation
14. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This article aims to investigate the complex intersection of political theory, the exercise of political power, and Catholic Social Teaching, focusing specifically on the relationship between Joe Biden, Pope Francis, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The core research question addresses how these actors model or fail to model authentic faith in the public square, particularly within the context of contemporary American politics.
- The intersection of political science theory and religious practice.
- The application of Catholic Social Teaching as a driver for political decision-making.
- The critical analysis of the relationship between the US Catholic hierarchy and the Biden administration.
- The impact of internal Church issues, such as the sexual abuse scandal, on the moral authority of the US bishops.
- The conceptualization of political power, contrasting "smart power" with coercion and partisan politics.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Political Theory, Politics of Power and Catholic Social Teaching
This article examines the intersection of political theory, politics of power and Catholic Social Teaching. I am indebted to John S. Dryzek, Bonnie Honig and Anne Phillips for the following summary of political theory. John S Dryzel et al define political theory as “an interdisciplinary endeavour whose centre of gravity lies at the humanities end of the happily still undisciplined discipline of political science. Its traditions, approaches, and styles vary, but the field is united by a commitment to theorize, critique, and diagnose the norms, practices, and organization of political action in the past and present, in our own places and elsewhere. Across what sometimes seem chasms of difference, political theorists share a concern with the demands of justice and how to fulfil them, the presuppositions and promise of democracy, the divide between secular and religious ways of life, and the nature and identity of public goods, among many other topics.” Part of our task in this article is precisely to “diagnose the norms, practices, and organization of political action in the past and present” with particular reference to Joe Biden, Pope Francis and the US bishops. John S Dryzek et al go on to identify seven “Contemporary Themes and Developments” of political theory which I now summarise briefly. I will let the reader her from the horses’ mouth as much as possible.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author introduces the metaphor of "walking and chewing gum" to describe the challenge of governing while practicing faith, focusing on President Joe Biden.
2. Democracy’s Achilles’ Heel in a Disunited States of America: Discusses the vulnerability of democracy in the US, exploring the concept of passive versus active state sponsorship of terrorism and homegrown political violence.
3. Political Theory, Politics of Power and Catholic Social Teaching: Outlines various political theories, ranging from liberalism to green political theory, as lenses to examine contemporary political power.
4. Politics of Power and the Catholic Church as a Political Actor: Explores the "Vatican real politique" and the soft power of the Catholic Church in international relations through historical and contemporary examples.
5. Models of Secular Political Power: Summarizes nine models of political power proposed by Franz Neumann to understand how Joe Biden's leadership aligns with democratic norms.
6. US Bishops, Donald Trump and Joe Biden: An Unhappy Triumvirate: Analyzes the fractured relationship and conflicting political agendas between the US Catholic hierarchy and the Biden administration.
7. Spiritual Heirs of Borgias and Medici: A Disease Called Unchecked Clericalism: Critiques the moral hypocrisy of the US bishops regarding sexual abuse scandals while they criticize Joe Biden's doctrinal stances.
8. A Rogue Prince of the Church and Sexual Abuse in the US: Examines Carlo Maria Viganò’s critique of the US Church and the systemic failure to address sexual abuse and clerical corruption.
9. Joe Biden, Pope Francis, US Bishops and Catholic Social Teaching: Evaluates the alignment of the three main actors with seven key themes of Catholic Social Teaching, noting the bishops' relative lack of consistency.
10. Faith in the Public Square: Uses the Sermon on the Mount to reflect on the role of Christians as salt and light in society and the call for active engagement in the public sphere.
11. Walking and Chewing Gum at the Same Time: Reflects on the shared Catholic identity of Biden, the Pope, and the US bishops, and the specific challenges of navigating modern political culture.
12. When an Irish-American Future President Meets an Italo-Argentinian Pope: Chronicles the personal and political relationship between Joe Biden and Pope Francis based on shared values of human dignity and social justice.
13. A Catholic President, a Disunited States of America and the Soul of a Nation: Discusses how Biden’s personal faith informs his presidency and his efforts to heal a polarized nation.
14. Conclusion: Summarizes the article's findings on the interplay between Catholic faith and political leadership in the US, advocating for a more collaborative approach between the Church and the current administration.
Keywords
Joe Biden, Pope Francis, US Catholic Bishops, Catholic Social Teaching, Political Theory, Political Power, Democracy, Terrorism, Clericalism, Sexual Abuse, Faith, Public Square, Smart Power, Liberalism, Human Dignity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The work explores how Joe Biden’s Catholic faith intersects with his presidency, political theory, and his complex relationship with the US Catholic bishops and Pope Francis.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the intersection of political science and religious doctrine, the exercise of political power, the impact of clericalism, and the application of Catholic Social Teaching in governance.
What is the primary goal of the author?
The author seeks to analyze whether Joe Biden can effectively model "authentic use of power" driven by Catholic Social Teaching while navigating the political divisions of the United States.
Which scientific methods or frameworks are utilized?
The author utilizes Franz Neumann's nine models of political power, Joseph Nye's concepts of soft/smart power, and various definitions from political theory to examine the conduct of the actors involved.
What is the focus of the main body of the text?
The main body examines the conflicting relationships within the "triumvirate" of Joe Biden, the Pope, and the US bishops, while criticizing the US episcopacy for its handling of sexual abuse scandals compared to its critique of Biden.
What characterises the selected keywords?
The keywords highlight the specific intersection of religious and secular leadership, power dynamics, and current societal challenges in the United States.
How does the author classify Joe Biden's exercise of power?
The author categorizes Biden as a "liberal democrat" who uses "smart power," moderated by emotional intelligence and empathy, which stands in contrast to the coercion-based methods attributed to his predecessor.
What is the author's stance on the US Catholic bishops?
The author is critical of the US bishops, suggesting they demonstrate hypocrisy by obsessing over Joe Biden's doctrinal stances while failing to effectively address systemic sexual abuse and corruption within their own ranks.
How is the relationship between Pope Francis and Joe Biden described?
It is portrayed as a positive relationship cemented by shared values regarding human dignity, the poor, climate change, and hospitality, reflecting a move toward global collaboration.
- Citar trabajo
- Dr Tarcisius Mukuka (Autor), 2021, Walking and Chewing Gum at the Same Time. Faith and Political Power in the Public Square in US Catholicism, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1126169
