Is culture the cancellation of the other?As editor of this work, he has brought together a group of intellectuals committed to reflecting on faith and its impact on culture, political debate and public life. In addition to reviewing issues already debated in recent years, he also introduces new challenges that affect today's society. In this interview we address some aspects related to faith and public life.
Two years after the debate it sparked, what do you expect from this book?
-The first is to help make many more people aware of the debate, which has both more obvious and more subtle points. In addition, I hope that the participation of people of Christian faith in public life will continue to be encouraged and the ways in which they can be present, either explicitly as Christians or with specifically Christian ideas, will continue to be explored.
I know that presentations and events are still underway at universities where the subject has already been discussed. This is positive. Debating who, how and when to intervene can in itself improve participation in these forums. At the same time, there is a risk of falling into analysis paralysis or the narcissism of petty difference. However, in the initial discussions this does not appear to be happening.
Is there an absence of Christian intellectuals in the public debate?
-Yes, especially in Spain. Although we cited Christian intellectuals from other countries, there are few Spaniards in this category. However, the debate reflects the emergence of a new generation of Christian opinion makers, originally emerging around digital media such as The Objective and El Debate de hoy.
Do you think a "culture war" by Christians is necessary, or is a dialogue approach more effective?
-From my point of view, there are different strategies that respond to different contexts, capacities and opportunities. There is no one right way to intervene. While unity on certain principles is desirable, it is also important to accept that conflict and diversity are inherent in public life. Personal encounter is paramount in the transmission of Christianity. There, dialogue counts more than battle. But when people are in society, we organize ourselves into groups or tribes, and we think and act in a conflictive and agonistic way.
What is the role of Christian educational institutions in the formation of intellectuals?
-Concern for the common good is a requirement of Christian charity and justice. The "privatism" of a certain "bourgeois ChristianityThe "moral defect" is not the result of a moral defect, but above all of a lack of formation, as St. Paul pointed out. Josemaría Escriva de Balaguer. Education, on the other hand, always fails. Exceptional people emerge despite institutional constraints. Moreover, what needs to be learned in order to participate creatively in community life requires more than just passing through the classroom. It is necessary to rub shoulders with people in other spheres: in the street, in institutions that are not Christian. Otherwise, we run the risk of forming fanatics or idealists who are out of touch with reality.
What issues should Christian intellectuals address in their public interventions?
-The themes that the Magisterium of the Church and the great Christian intellectuals have been pointing out for decades, from the defense of life and the family to social justice and ecology. It is important to show the coherence of the Christian vision on these issues - which often appear split into "left-wing and right-wing" issues - and to accept the diversity of approaches among Christians. In order to communicate the Christian answers, we must first suffer the human questions that we all share. That is why I think that at a time when the "shared moral ground" has been lost, the beginning of the path is the wounds we all share: loneliness, the search for meaning, suffering, mistrust in relationships, etc. In this way, a new curiosity can be aroused about what Christians have to contribute, and unexpected alliances can be forged.
How can Christian intellectuals effectively explain the Church's position on the gender issue?
- The first step is to affirm with serenity that "God created male and female", without apologizing for it. Without this "unveiled truth" that we are creatures and of the fundamental goodness of the created order, it is very difficult for the emancipatory drive of human beings not to turn against nature, precisely as a requirement of true humanity. Moreover, it is important that there be feminine voices speaking in Christianity. Not because of a "quota", but because we truly believe in the complementarity of the sexes. This, in addition to overcoming perhaps some inertia or prejudice of very masculine environments, means making a call to the public presence of Christian women, traditionally more inclined to the care of the private (which is in itself an irreplaceable contribution to the common good).
In which countries do Catholics have a particularly positive presence in the public sphere?
-The truth is that I lack a complete global perspective, even in my own country. I hear interesting things from Brazil; North American Catholicism has been very active for decades; I see less present that "cultural project" of Italian Catholicism, which had a great capacity for dialogue with the "secular" world.
A generalized tendency is the awareness that we are a minority in the cultural context, and this is giving rise to new forms and dynamisms to make ourselves present. But I fear that it can adopt "identitarian" forms of Christianity, both in private and pastoral spheres, as well as in its public projection. This sometimes leads to allergic reactions in other Christians, which I think are exaggerated. The challenge is to channel this new creativity and impulse, purifying it by means of rigorous thinking and a merciful attitude: underlining the primacy of charity in truth as a sign of Christian identity.
