Politics and Religion Talk Offers ‘Faith-Based Principles for Pluralist Democracy’
Jesse Covington, whose research explores the interrelation of religion and government, takes a step away from the current electoral matchup to look at enduring challenges Christians face in a context like the United States. He discusses “Hopeful Realism: Faith-Based Principles for Pluralist Democracy” at a app Downtown Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at the , 631 Garden St., in downtown Santa Barbara. The talk is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations required. is available on the streets surrounding CAW or in nearby city parking lots. For more information, please call (805) 565-6051.
“Christian citizens can experience tension in their political activity, particularly when their moral commitments seem at odds with the tenets of a pluralist democracy — at times to such an extent that they feel they have to choose between the two,” says Covington, professor of political science and director of app’s Augustinian Scholars Program. “But this need not be the case,” he contends.
The talk will draw on a forthcoming book by Covington, Bryan McGraw and Micah Watson that explores how the Christian intellectual tradition can help with this tension. “,” which will be available for purchase in January, shows how the insights of St. Augustine of Hippo, in concert with the Christian natural law tradition, can provide vital guidance for Christians in politics today.
Covington earned a master’s and doctorate in political science from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in religion from Westminster Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University.
He contributed to the book “Concepts of Nature: Ancient and Modern” and co-edited “Natural Law and Evangelical Political Thought.”
app Downtown: Conversations About Things That Matter is a free lecture series sponsored by the app Foundation, which also sponsors the annual app President’s Breakfast in late February.