This feature is part of an HDS Communications interview series offering students a closer look at selected upcoming courses. Below, we chat with Hollis Professor of Divinity Emeritus Harvey Cox about his fall 2017 class “Pope Francis: His ‘Theology of the People’ and the Future of Religion,” which will examine biographical material on Francis, his peace-making efforts, and his attempts to reform the Vatican and to reorient the Church towards the poor.
HDS: Could you speak about your interest in exploring how Francis’s identity as an Argentinian and his Italian parentage have influenced his theology?
Harvey Cox: I’m going to spend a couple weeks early in the term on this because I think those factors, while they aren’t determinative, are very important for Francis. I say this for several reasons.
First, as a Latin American pope, he’s the first pope from the so-called New World and from the Third World. This actually represents a fundamental demographic switch that has been occurring within in the Catholic Church. This has gone from the old, European world to now include the world below the southern hemisphere—of Latin America and other regions. Not only is it a demographic switch, but also a cultural, political, and theological shift.
Argentina has a history of religion and politics that is very different than the rest of Latin America and the rest of the world. In Argentina, there is a long-held philosophy that culture itself should be suffused with values—that is, Christian and Catholic. And Francis has accepted that idea. He was not in favor of a strict separation between culture and religion. He calls it “the evangelization of culture.” For him, culture is the meeting or network of values, meanings, and practices, and he is very focused on making it an integral part of the Catholic Church. That makes the Argentine connections very important.
On a personal level, these questions mean a lot to me because I spent a lot of time in that region as he was rising to the papacy. I taught for a long time down there and am very interested Francis’s “theology of the people” and how it relates to liberation theology. So these questions, and my past experiences in Latin America, are just a few of the many things that draws me to this topic.
HDS: It is interesting to note how Francis is the first pope to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi. Why do you think he’s the first to do so? Also, do you think he has lived up to Francis’s name thus far?
HC: There are a couple of angles here. The first and probably most visible change is that every previous pope took the name of a former pope—such as Benedict XVI or John Paul II. Popes taking names signals continuity. So one thing that I think Francis wants to do is to say that this is not about continuity but about something new. The other part of it is that he has always been an admirer of Francis and the Francis form of Christian practice, although he is a Jesuit (which isn’t entirely unnatural).
It is also interesting to note how St. Francis was not ordained—this is to say that, in naming himself Pope Francis, he also champions lay people. For Francis, the church is not just the priesthood; it is also of the people. And this fits right in line with his “theology of the people.” As for his name, I think he certainly has lived up to his chosen title. I think he’s lived up to a Franciscan worldview most of his life and now, even within the limits of the papacy, he certainly has.
HDS: Relatedly, what influence do you think Pope Francis’s papacy will have on the future of the Catholic Church? Do you believe that Francis’s theology and influence will survive after his tenure?
HC: That’s a very key question and one of the reasons why I’m calling this course “Pope Francis: Theology of the People.” There was an article a while back asking if he was, symbolically, just a tsunami—that he and his theology will just blow over. In my mind, he has some considerable power to shape the future. One of the most principle powers he possesses is naming the cardinals that will eventually name the next pope. In fact, he has already indicated who will be selected and who will not.
One dramatic indication is that Francis has not yet made the Archbishop of Philadelphia a cardinal—and this is a position long held by conservatives that has always been elevated to become a cardinal. In doing so, Francis has been widely criticized by the more conservative members of the church, who claim that he’s picking favorites. And in a sense they’re right! He’s picking people who will take a special interest in the poor and the excluded sections of the world as well as people who will address the many other needs and dangers of the modern world, especially with regard to the global economy and with climate change.
HDS: Finally, what do you hope that students will walk away with by the end of the semester?
HC: By the end of the semester, I would like my students to gain an appreciation of the cultural, religious, and personal forces that have shaped Francis. I think that’s important with anybody—to know where they came from and how those influences have shaped their lives. I also want them to wrestle with what he means by “theology of the people”: What does that signify and where does it come from? We will certainly deal with this and how it relates to liberation theology.
Finally, I want them to have some clear understanding of the opposition that Francis faces— which is considerable and strong—and what are the reasons for their concerns. The Archbishop of Philadelphia—the one who has not yet been chosen to be a cardinal—recently published a book that confronts Francis’s vision. The opposition will be relentless and strong. While Francis has very strong support among lay people around the world, he faces strong opposition at the top.
One last thing: I have met Francis twice—once two years ago, and once last October. The most recent conversation I had with him was very significant and I was very touched. Sometimes you meet a person and the first impression sticks. In meeting Francis, I was very impressed with his centeredness, maturity, and depth—combined with how amicable he was! He is genuinely friendly, so I came away impressed and knowing that he will be able to contend with those oppositional forces he will have to face.
While we were parting, he asked me to pray for him. And I naturally said “of course.” I go to a Baptist church in Cambridge and we have a prayer list with usually about 10 people’s names at any given time. So when I got back, I asked to have Pope Francis on there. A few weeks later, someone came in to visit our church, saw Francis on the list, and said, “You all pray for Francis at a Baptist Church?” I laughed and said “Of course!”
—by Bo Clay, HDS correspondent