The late 19th and early 20th century saw many concrete developments in the churches’ responses to pressing social problems. The social and political upheavals of the first half of the 20th century intensified and shaped those responses. This colloquium will examine the Christian social thought forged within both Protestant and Catholic traditions during this crucial period. Common readings and expert facilitation will set the table for a lively discussion. Though the initial approach will be theological and historical, participants are expected and encouraged to bring a broad array of disciplinary perspectives.
Jordan J. Ballor, Dr. theol., Ph.D. (Dr. theol., University of Zurich; Ph.D., Calvin Theological Seminary) is a senior research fellow and director of publishing at the Acton Institute, where he also serves as executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality. He is author of Get Your Hands Dirty: Essays on Christian Social Thought (and Action) (2013), Covenant, Causality, and Law: A Study in the Theology of Wolfgang Musculus (2012), and Ecumenical Babel: Confusing Economic Ideology and the Church's Social Witness (2010), as well as editor of numerous volumes, including Abraham Kuyper Collected Works in Public Theology.
Daniel Frascella, Ph.D. serves as the director of adult faith formation for the Archdiocese of New York under the leadership of Timothy Cardinal Dolan, one of the Roman Catholic Church’s most influential and visible leaders. Daniel is a graduate of Grove City College and completed an MA and a PhD in Church History at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Daniel’s academic interests are focused on the historical development of Catholic Social Teaching and understanding the social and cultural context of the period in which some of the most important pertinent modern statements of CST emerged from the Vatican and other Catholic theologians and ethicists. At the Archdiocese of New York, Daniel is responsible for developing programs that assist the Archdiocese’s 2 million self-identified Catholics to develop a greater understanding of the Christian faith and its implications in their daily lives. Additionally, Daniel serves as an adjunct professor of church history at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York.
