8-05 Searching for Common Ground and Community in a Polarized World

Divisions between friends, family, and people of faith have always been with us but they seem deeper and more intractable today as we confront the dual pandemic of Covid19 and racism. What are the sources of polarization? What resources does Catholic social thought offer for healing? How can Catholic institutions provide space for dialogue, healing, and belonging across lines that so often divide us?

Julie Hanlon Rubio is Professor of Christian Social Ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California. Previously, she taught for nearly two decades at St. Louis University. Her research focuses on Catholic social thought, family, and politics. She has published six books, including the award-winning Hope for Common Ground (Georgetown University Press, 2016). Her many essays have appeared in academic journals, as well as America, Catholicmoraltheology.com, and National Catholic Reporter. Her book Catholic and Feminist: Is It Still Possible? will be published by Oxford University Press in 2022. All of her work is marked by a commitment to finding common ground among Catholics and by a desire to address ethical issues people face in everyday life.