Call for Papers:
Christian Realism and Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas
The 2nd Conference of CatholicPOST
Theme of the Conference
Christian Realism is a prominent school of political theology, most closely associated among the Christian classics with St. Augustine. In the Protestant tradition, this direction is associated with the name of Reinhold Niebuhr. But how about the Catholic tradition? Pope Leo XIV is frequently described as a Church leader who relies heavily on the teachings of the Bishop of Hippo. Following the recent publication of his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, this conference seeks to answer a vital question: how does this papal document relate to Christian realist political theology?
Strong arguments support a close relationship between the two frameworks. However, certain elements within the document do not seem to fit easily into a traditional realist model. Papers are invited to discuss similarities and dissimilarities between the Christian realist position and the encyclical’s message, making use, if they want, of the following questions, or other related issues:
- Human Nature: Is the pessimistic description of human nature in the document in the spirit of St. Augustine, or is it open to debate concerning the broader human condition?
- The Babel Syndrome: Is the document’s description of the "Babel syndrome" realistic and in line with Christian Realism?
- Artificial Intelligence: Is Magnifica Humanitas’s (MH) critique of AI sufficiently radical and practical, or does it lean too far toward the utopian?
- The Civilisation of Love: Is the call for a global “civilisation of love” realistic, or does it point instead toward a framework of global governance?
- Just War Theory: Is the document's rejection of Just War Theory in accordance with earlier Church teaching?
- Realism vs. Interaction: Is the substitution of the "dirty hands" of Christian Realism with a “healthy realism” based on the human capacity to interact convincing?
Papers concerning other relevant themes of the encyclical would be welcome, too.
Keynote Speakers
- To be announced.
Organiser
The event is organised by the recently founded Association for the Renewal of Catholic Political and Social Thought (CatholicPOST). This is the second of the organisation’s conferences, hosted at Ludovika University in Budapest, Hungary.
The Board of the Association:
· Ferenc Hörcher (Ludovika University)
· André P. DeBattista (University of Malta)
· Bracy Bersnak (Christendom College)
· András Jancsó (Pázmány Péter Catholic University)
· Karl Gustel Wärnberg (Stockholm)
Date of the Event
The event will take place on 8–9 March, 2027.
Format and Deadline for Proposals
· Proposals should not exceed 120 words.
- Submission Deadline: 30 November, 2026
- Submission Email: Please send your abstract to ripg[at]uni-nke.hu