Christian Humanism Lies in the Encounter

The Whole Person Revolution

As we wrap up this season’s explorations of the gift logic, it seemed appropriate to zoom out to the tradition that has animated this conversation from the very beginning: Christian humanism. A rich if unfinished tradition that at once informs Comment’s editorial lens and animates our broader work as an ecosystem-builder, we wish to tell a story of Christian humanism that cares for the full flowering of human agency through forms of just and generous common life. It’s a common life that works itself out through a thick web of formative institutions, which in turn enable purposeful dialogue and relationship between friends and strangers. Helping us see the beauty of this rotating discovery process is Luke Bretherton, the Robert E. Cushman Distinguished Professor of Moral and Political Theology at Duke University.