Reason, Faith, & Politics

This seminar will explore the relation between the two highest kinds of knowledge—reason (in the form of philosophy and science) and faith (in the form of divine revelation and theology). We will examine some thinkers who claim that reason and faith are incompatible, requiring an either-or choice because they cannot be synthesized, and other thinkers who claim that the two are compatible and can be reconciled in a harmonious whole in which reason is perfected by faith.

After exploring the relation of reason and faith, we will examine the political teachings of divine law, natural law, and practical reason as they are found in several writings—including the Bible as well as selections from St. Thomas Aquinas, Emil Fackenheim, Reinhold Niebuhr, Martin Luther King, Jr., and papal encyclicals. We will consider what form of government and what kind of social and economic institutions are required by divine and natural law, and also which regime—kingship, theocracy, or liberal democracy—is most compatible with the teachings of divine and natural law.

Images: Detail from Raphael, The School of Athens, 1509-11 | Raphael, Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, 1509-1510

Faculty

Robert Kraynak

Robert P. Kraynak is Professor of Political Science at Colgate University. He teaches courses in the fields of political philosophy and general education, including courses on American political thought, the history of Western political philosophy, natural law, religion and politics, and conservative political thought.

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Reason and Faith in Conflict

Readings:

Leo Strauss, “On the Interpretation of Genesis”
Leo Strauss, “The Mutual Influence of Philosophy and Theology”
Soren Kierkegaard, “The Knight of Faith”
Soren Kierkegaard, “Concluding Unscientific Postscript”
Soren Kierkegaard, “The Present Age”

Discussion Questions:

Why does Strauss think that two roots of Western civilization—classical philosophy (Athens) and Biblical faith (Jerusalem)—are in conflict with each other and cannot be synthesized? What advice does Strauss give for living with this unresolvable conflict?
Why does Kierkegaard believe that religion is a “leap of faith” into the “absurd”? How is this view of faith reflected in his interpretation of Abraham and Christianity?
Why is Christian faith so difficult in the “present age” of democratic mass society?

Reason and Faith in Harmony

Readings:

Francis S. Collins, The Language of God, Chs. 1–5, 8–10

Recommended Readings:

CS Lewis, Miracles, Chs. 1–4

Discussion Questions:

How does a modern scientist like Francis Collins reconcile his Christian faith with the doctrines of Big Bang cosmology and Darwinian evolution?
What does Collins mean by “theistic evolution”? Is his reconciliation convincing or unconvincing?

The Jewish State from Moses to Modern Israel

Readings:

Discussion Questions:

What does the Hebrew Bible teach about the Jewish state in the period of the original Mosaic law? In the period of kingship under Saul, David, and Solomon? In the period of the later Jewish prophets such as Jeremiah and Amos?
Why does Fackenheim think that modern philosophy, the Holocaust, and the founding of the State of Israel require a new interpretation of Judaism for the modern age?

Christianity and Political Realism—Seeking Justice in a Fallen World

Readings:

Discussion Questions:

What do the Gospels teach about politics?
What is the meaning of Jesus’ distinction between the duties to God and the duties to Caesar?
How do the doctrines of original sin and salvation affect the Christian view of justice in the fallen world?
How does Niebuhr derive a teaching about “Christian Realism” from the Gospels and from St. Augustine?
Is Niebuhr an optimist or a pessimist about democracy, justice, and war or peace?

Christianity and Political Idealism: Natural Law Justice

Readings:

Discussion Questions:

Why did Christian theologians develop a teaching about natural law in addition to divine law?
How did they learn from the classical and modern philosophers about the nature of man as a rational and social animal?
What is justice according to the natural law—does it point to monarchy or democracy? Capitalism or socialism? Just war or strict pacifism? A world of nation states or international law and one world government?
How does practical reason apply the principles of natural law to the concrete circumstances of politics?

Alumni Spotlight

Caleb Orr

Caleb Orr completed his degree at Abilene Christian University while also serving as an intern and later legislative correspondent in the office of Senator Marco Rubio. Caleb participated in Hertog’s “Great Figures of the 20th Century” Weekend Seminars series, with sessions on Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and David Ben-Gurion.

“Hertog Foundation programs bring the kind of education that you expect at an elite university, combined with a grounding in the civilizational values that America was founded on and made us able to produce freedom, order, and prosperity. As a result of that, students are able to come together in an environment where you’re with many smart people from different fields and learn from one another.”

Caleb Orr

Current Position:

Judicial Law Clerk
Past:

Policy Advisor, Office of Senator Marco Rubio
Education:

Abilene Christian University | Georgetown University Law Center

TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR CAREER PATH. HOW DOES HERTOG FIT IN TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL GOALS?

Working on Capitol Hill is all about keeping in touch with what other members of Congress are doing and partnering with them based on their expertise and abilities. So getting to know other Hill staff from Hertog, but also people in the think-tank community has been very helpful in connecting me to those resources and being able to serve Senator Rubio better as a staffer.

DO YOU THINK HERTOG PROGRAMS ARE BENEFICIAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC POLICY AND LEGISLATION?

One-hundred percent. It’s a great entryway into the world of DC. Hertog programs provide access points into Capitol Hill and the academic community in ways that you don’t get at universities across America.

WHAT STICKS OUT IN YOUR MEMORY ABOUT YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH HERTOG PROGRAMS?

With the Weekend Seminars, the Foundation brought in some of the most well-known experts to lead seminars about each of these leaders. The ability to really have an intensive session over a weekend where you’re spending time with these scholars—in an academic setting, but also over dinner or drinks—really allowed you to get to know them as people, which made them all the more effective in conveying the subject matter. It was interesting to take that much of a deep dive into world leaders. To explore all the ins and outs, both the good and the bad of their characters, was helpful in seeing how the same traits that produce epic achievements can also lead to moral failures.

OVERALL, WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF HERTOG PROGRAMS?

Hertog Foundation programs bring the kind of education that you expect at an elite university, combined with a grounding in the civilizational values that America was founded on and made us able to produce freedom, order, and prosperity. As a result of that, students are able to come together in an environment where you’re with many smart people from different fields and learn from one another.

It really is remarkable how vibrant the alumni community is and how much I’ve stayed in contact with people I met at Hertog. I think that’s unique, even when compared to other DC fellowship programs I’ve done. In fact, I’ve started to meet up with two other Hertog alumni about every other week to get steak dinners and just talk politics.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? IN A SIMILAR JOB, OR EMBARKING ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

I want to be promoting the kind of human flourishing that I learned about at Hertog – ordered liberty, the American family, and American leadership. I want to be working for the first “reformicon” president in the White House.