Michael Novak and the struggle for human rights

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On 17 February, we commemorate the third anniversary of the death of Michael Novak, a prominent American thinker with Slovak roots. While Michael Novak's contributions to the philosophy of democratic capitalism or the social doctrine of the Catholic Church were partly known in our intellectual and Christian circles, his work as an ambassador in the field of human rights remains largely unknown. This article is at least an attempt to fill this gap.

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Romantic Love and Religion – A Match Made in Heaven?

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Valentine’s Day has become the high holy day of the cult of romantic love. It began as a pagan celebration that, in the 5th Century, became a Christian religious holiday still observed across the world by a variety of faith communities. In contemporary America, however, it has shed most Christian associations, and now billions of dollars (and countless anxieties) are spent on a day that embodies our culture’s extraordinary emphasis on romantic love.

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Liberty and the Claims of Truth

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We are coming this week on the anniversary of the death of our beloved friend Michael Novak, one of the founders of this site and many other valuable initiatives.  His voice as a writer, on theology and politics, on the arts and sports, could always break through the rancor and confusion of what is left of our public discourse.

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Why Your Time Really Is Where Your Treasure Is

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There are times when I feel prepared to answer this question, and other times when I’m ashamed. I know I should have, but time just got away from me this week…

One of the most common responses to this question that I have heard (and used myself) is some variation of “I want to, but I just don’t have the time”.

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How the pope strays from spirituality and morality, and wears the mantel of a politician

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Recently, Pope Francis gave a press conference while returning to the Vatican from a trip to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. During his press conference, he, of course, lied. What else does one do at a press conference?

The lies were understandable because he was making a political statement against capitalism and against America, two of his favorite bugaboos. Yet, is it ever alright for the pope to lie? I shall leave that matter for the theologians. I do wonder, though, who is hearing the pope’s confession these days?

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Ask Ann Cannon: My friend keeps buying spendy gifts, even when we tell her not to

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Dear Ann Cannon • One of my friends goes crazy with gift-giving during the holiday season. She spends a lot of money and gives a lot of “stuff” to all of her friends. I heard she does it at work, too. I love to honor the season and my friendships, as well, but I do not want to spend the kind of money this friend spends or buy people something they may not need or want.

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30 Years Ago Today, the World Dramatically Changed

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In February 1972, when Eastern Europe seemed permanently welded to the Soviet sphere and entirely subject to its compulsory secularism, Mr. Armstrong’s Plain Truth magazine wrote, “One of the biggest roles desired by the Vatican is that of mediator between East and West. The Vatican … will continue to do its part in courting the Eastern European countries.”

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Catholic All the Way: Michael Novak’s Legacy

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Michael Novak was a thinker whose sweep was without peer in his time, or ours. As a public intellectual, his contributions ranged over a staggering list of fields – theology, philosophy, journalism, economics, politics, poetry and fiction – just for starters. His public service included work as an ambassador for human rights, as a professor, as a public speaker in great demand; and his service was recognized by a staggering list of honors: 24 honorary degrees, the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, awards from the Central European governments and associations for whom his towering work, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, would serve as a providential blueprint during the years in which they clawed up from decades of communist oppression.

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Students 'Hack' Social Justice Issues

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Teams of University students competed in developing action plans addressing particular social issues, such as homelessness or income inequality, as part of a “hackathon” on March 19. The hackathon was part of the second annual Novak Symposium, a day-long conference promoting continued discussion of issues and themes that the late Michael Novak focused on.

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What on earth is a ‘social justice hackathon’?

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The Catholic University of America’s Novak Symposium, now in its second year, is a day filled with the sharing of thought provoking ideas.

To honor the memory of Michael Novak, an American Catholic political scholar best known for his demonstrations that democratic capitalism and Catholic social teaching are compatible, Catholic scholars from think tanks and educational institutions come from all over to deliver speeches on current social issues and the solutions they have discovered through their work.

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