Berkley Center

In this paper Fr. David Hollenbach, S.J., draws on the thought of both American theologian John Courtney Murray and the Second Vatican Council concerning religious freedom to suggest how the church and other faith communities can help build a more just and peaceful world. Hollenbach argues that the shape of religious freedom issues today would be of great concern to Murray, because his work on religious liberty arose from his strong interest in the public role of religion, and also because of his theological and ethical engagement with the ethics of war and peace. Vatican II in Gaudium et Spes also devoted major attention both to the public role of the church and to the church’s possible contribution to justice and world peace. Consequently, the paper explores how Murray and Vatican II saw religious freedom not only as an essential protection for the personal act of faith, but also as a social, public reality with important political implications.