Editor of Catholic Journal to Lecture on Religion and Politics at Holy Cross

Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal Magazine, will give a lecture titled “Religious Identity in a Pluralistic Age: Liberal, Conservative, or Just Catholic?” on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture, sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and the College Honors Program, is free and open to the public.

Founded in 1924, Commonweal is an independent journal of opinion edited and managed by lay Catholics. It tackles issues in politics, global events, ethics and culture. Baumann joined Commonweal in 1990 and became editor in 2003.

Baumann will talk about how Catholics often are torn between the obvious benefits of contemporary secular culture and the countercultural truths of Catholicism. At Commonweal, Baumann’s editorials have spanned both sides of the spectrum. He has written editorials in allegiance to his faith that have alienated certain liberal groups, and he has also written critical pieces that put him at odds with the Church.

“Who doesn’t feel profound ambivalence about both the culture and the church?” asked Baumann. “On the whole, however, I do not think the tension between church and culture is a bad thing. Frankly, I think it is a good and necessary thing." 

Baumann has written for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Newsday, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and other publications. Before joining Commonweal, he worked as a newspaper editorial writer, reporter, and movie reviewer at the Day, a Connecticut newspaper.

To learn more about this program and other Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture events, visit www.holycross.edu/crec.

About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture: Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College's commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.