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Christianity Today, March (Web-only), 2009 |

Thinking Epistemologically about Obama and Notre Dame

Francis Beckwith explains why Notre Dame's invitation is so controversial, and what it says about higher education.

Interview by Sarah Pulliam | posted 3/27/2009 03:03PM

Francis Beckwith knows what it's like to be in the middle of controversy. In fact, he thinks he's a magnet for it. Beckwith, who is a philosophy and church-studies professor at Baylor University, triggered ...

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Pilgrim

Posted: April 07, 2009 12:24 PM

Intelligent people can and do take theology seriously. I concur with Beckwith-it is rather biased to exclude theology from what we consider knowledge to be. But that is what we've been taught to do, isn't it? How dare anyone suggest anything other than "true" science! Epistemology is indeed the key, but most people, including academics have a very narrow view of what comprises knowing. They can hardly conceive of ways of thinking that are outside their rigidly defined boxes of acceptability.

joycelen

Posted: April 05, 2009 10:40 AM

Once again, arguments are brought forth which only distract from the central issue. Obama is the most pro-death president we have ever had, even voting to allow born alive infants from botched abortions to die. This is not just a matter of being somewhat pro-choice. Mr. Obama is charming and charismatic, but has made his position clear. Not just soldiers have to die, but also innocent life in the form of embryos and babies, from unnecessary embryonic research, to children who must have their skulls cut open and brains removed by partial birth abortion. Ugly to say? Yes, but even uglier to hold such policies. Is the Church going to stand for life? I surely hope so! Some Evangelicals get too caught up in the cult of personality to see this clearly. The right to conscience also must be protected. Our county is founded on such principles. Please open your eyes church.

Christian Lawyer

Posted: April 01, 2009 11:28 PM

No, Dr. Beckwith, Pres. Obama does not deny "the intrinsic dignity of all persons." He affirms their dignity, but, like many who are pro-choice, does not beleve that "person" includes an embryo. When your epistomology doesn't allow you to distinguish between the "truth" of the Apostles Creed and the "truth" of the periodic table or between the moral stature of a 4-year-old and that of a 4-second-old fertilized egg, there is something seriously wrong with your theory. And, I believe in the Apostles Creed. If your point is "faith without works is dead" and thus proof of our faith is in our living, generally I agree. But, when you state unequivocally that creed is true in the same way as scientific fact, you indulge in the conceit of all fundamentalisms. "Belief" masquerading as "certainty" is what leads to abortion clinic bombings, suicide bombings and the inability to recognize abortion is not the worst choice for a 9-yr-old repeatedly raped by her stepfather. Academy, meet real world.

robroy

Posted: April 01, 2009 5:16 PM


This is not the same as Wheaton College or HBU in that the American Catholic Bishops have explicitly stated that Catholic Universities should not be giving out honorary degrees to pro-abortion politicians. The Catholic Church is a hierarchal one. It is simply disrespectful to ignore their statement.

Dave N.

Posted: March 31, 2009 3:41 PM

Since when is granting a degree: "giv(ing) an imprimatur on him and his views"? Does this mean institutions of higher learning should only grant degrees to people who tow the institutional line and regurgitate the views of the institution? (Catholic institutions are typically more open to inquiry and disputation.) To be granted a degree should Obama be made to conform to Catholic moral teaching even if he's not Catholic? How does such a stance advance learning and knowledge if people are not allowed to disagree and to be proven right or wrong? The church has always grown and been strengthened when allowed to confront false views head-on.

Adam S

Posted: March 31, 2009 12:14 PM

Francis, I think your interpretation of Catholic moral theology (I am not an expert so I may be wrong) takes one area of sin and ignores all other areas. As an example with Bush, this would be saying he is responsible for torture, and therefore he cannot recieve an honorary degree but it would ignore his work on abortion and AIDS in Africa. Certainly there is a balance, and it may be that for many if not most Catholics, Obama's stand on abortion outweights his stand on other issues (like against an unjust war). If there is not a balance understanding the sum of a person's life then no one could deserve an award because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Francis Beckwith

Posted: March 30, 2009 6:15 PM

Adam, according to Catholic moral theology, Obama denies the intrinsic dignity of all persons that ought to be the proper subject over laws. Thus, for Notre Dame to award him an honorary doctorate of law is no different than the American Cancer Society awarding an honorary doctorate of science to R. J. Reynolds. Chris, why can't faith, like memory beliefs, be knowledge? And, remember, the Catholic church accepts the Catholic creeds as deliverances of theological knowledge guided by the Holy Spirit. So, in a way, the Church is more sure of the Apostles' Creed than the period table, just as you are more sure that you were alive yesterday than that Saturn has at least three moons. And Anonymous, within Catholic moral theology, the intrinsic dignity of all persons is a fundamental principle. And thus, there is no such thing as "just" abortion. But there is such a thing as "just war" and "just capital punishment." The latter are matters of prudence, the former is a grave evil.

ltovar3

Posted: March 29, 2009 8:12 PM

I found the article stimulating and the arguments presented provocative. The idea that one may know Jesus is Lord rather than believe it--a difference between faith as belief or faith as knowledge--was what was most challenging. Is theology knowledge or merely an alternative belief system. This will truly show who are the cafeteria Catholics among us. That the president will receive an honorary law doctorate is not so controversial in my view as he has already earned his doctorate in law. The controversy is in what does the gift mean? It certainly isn't one of the seven sacraments by any stretch of the imagination, although it is pregnant with symbolism; which leads us to his interpretation and practice of law as president. As a Catholic his views on not pursuing crimes against humanity by the Bush administration, his stand on abortion, stem cell, and other issues are disturbing to those who live their faith. It is tolerable to those whose faith is a belief system not a way of life.

James Gurn

Posted: March 29, 2009 2:39 PM

WHY THE FUSS OVER OBAMA @ Notre Dames' Commencement you ask???It reminds some of us Irish- Catholics of our ancestrial history that speak volumes about distancing yourself from one's adversary to prolong the "eventual & unavoidable conflict of FAITH". Though not of English descent, he, nevertheless has revealed the same "patterns" of 17th & 19th Century Protestantism....which actions had the same purpose...that is. to DESTROY THE CATHOLIC PEOPLE AND THEIR FAITH!!! History records the cruelty imposed by the 69 years of suffering under the PENAL LAWS followed by (19th Century) FAMINE.... For those "sighing w/ disgust" I implore you to Google: PENAL LAWS & IRELANDS FAMINE. However,admitedly present actions seem unrelated to the severity of these past atrocities, the Obama ...abortion stand, embroyic stem-cell stand, health-care/hospital ..faith issues,etc..reveals and mirrors total disregard for Catholics "core-faith-beliefs" and his destructive agenda...

Stan	Posted: March 29, 2009 7:18 AM


Great interview, Sarah.

ozspanish

Posted: March 29, 2009 3:08 AM

I have been involved in a university's deliberations on proposed candidates for honorary degrees (and LLD or Doctor of Laws is the usual degree chosen for generalists even if their undergraduate degree was not law). Two points to add. First, it's not advisable to award honorary degrees to politicians in office, since the invitation becomes open to political interpretation. Second, the wording of the invitation and the citation should settle the problem. If Notre Dame wants to acknowledge President Obama's already groundbreaking contribution to human rights for marginalised groups especially racial minorities, then this contribution, his participation at the ceremony and even the award of the degree might well be celebrated by all. However if the citation mentions the President's current thinking on any political issues, this will flag a poor choice by Notre Dame.

Chris

Posted: March 29, 2009 1:13 AM

How can an intelligent person in the twenty first century equate the periodic table of elements with the Apostles Creed? Both are knowledge? What is Francis Beckwith talking about? Even most evangelicals would say that their beliefs are a matter of faith rather than knowledge. No wonder sectarian colleges are considered second-class. What sort of an academic institution would treat unprovable religious dogma as a basis for hiring and firing?

http://ketch22.wordpress.com

Posted: March 28, 2009 8:14 PM

Are there any Christians left here? Any lovers of Jesus? I see more and more posts from those that are more concerned with wordly affairs than they are with the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Who cares about Billy Graham or Barack Obama... what about the innocent life that is being snuffed out every day under our watch? If that isn't the most important thing here... more important than B.O. getting some honor... you are under the control of somebody else other than God.

Lewis M.

Posted: March 28, 2009 12:37 PM

Francis Beckwith seems to be attacking a straw man of his own creation. Honorary degrees (presumably an LL.D. in this case) are awarded by the dozens on college campuses each year to honorees who have not mastered the subject matter represented by the degree. Billy Graham is reported to have about 20 honorary doctorates and has turned down at least that number. Billy Graham's honors are well deserved but no one, least of all Dr. Graham, would assume he had gained mastery of whatever fields are represented by the degrees. I think I detect a political undercurrent in Dr. Beckwith's comments. Kudos to Notre Dame for giving Kudos to our president - Barack Obama

PBobM

Posted: March 27, 2009 11:46 PM

I have no strong opinion about the speaking or the degree, but I vigorously applaud Francis Beckwith for calling believers to truly believe, which means we count what we have on Divine authority as knowledge proper. If we cannot do that, then we must not call our positions 'belief' or our status 'believer.' Instead we should call our positions 'opinion' and our status 'opiner.' James, perhaps said it best, "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:6 NIV. And James, of course, is only reflecting the words of Jesus in Matthew 21. Truly, as Richard Dawkins and others have observed, a world of true believers can be a very dangerous place filled with horrors and outrages committed in the name of God or gods because adherents accept what their faiths teach as factual reality. Despite the experiential dangers, the true follower of Jesus has no alternative but to hold His teachings as fact.

Anonymous

Posted: March 27, 2009 6:56 PM

This article made me wonder if Pres. Bush had been invited to speak at Notre Dame, given his pro-capital punishment views and decision to start a pre-emptive war - both opposed by Catholic teaching. Indeed, a quick Google search indicated he spoke at ND's commencement in May 2001, (prior to 9/11) amid great protest. Students and faculty objected vehemently to Bush' s presence, due to his tax breaks for the wealthy, militarization of space, and positions on the environment and labor rights. How many prestigious speakers are even out there that hew 100% to Catholic teaching on both abortion and justice issues? It seems that there would be noone eligible, unless we are to start judging which positions are "OK" to reject and which aren't. No answers here, just wondering.

Patrick Reilly

Posted: March 27, 2009 6:35 PM

Thank God for brilliant minds like that given to Francis Beckwith. Nearly 200,000 people agree and have signed the petition at www.NotreDameScandal.com. I hope that all Christians will stand up for their faith by contacting Notre Dame's president Rev. John Jenkins to protest this honor by an ostensibly Christian university. Phone 574.631.5000, fax 574.631.2770, email president@nd.edu, mail: 317 Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

Adam S

Posted: March 27, 2009 4:11 PM

I find the argument that Obama has done nothing worth giving an honorary degree for very disingenuous. Clearly he has accomplished much, whether you agree with him or not, he was elected president of the United States something only 43 other people in history have accomplished. So that part of the argument seems to be very weak. Also I think the argument that no currently elected official should speak would seem to suggest a withdrawl from all political life. I do not think that only politicians should speak, but he is suggesting that no politician should be invited (how long is long, 10 years after retirement, 20?)

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