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We Hold These Truths

Catholic Reflections on the American Proposition
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The 1960 publication of We Hold These Truths marked a significant event in the history of modern American thought. Since that time, Sheed & Ward has kept the book in print and has published several studies of John Courtney Murrays life and work. We are proud to present a new edition of this classic text, which features a comprehensive introduction by Peter Lawler that places Murray in the context of Catholic and American history and thought while revealing his relevance today. From the new Introduction by Peter Lawler: The Jesuit John Courtney Murray (1904-67) was, in his time, probably the best known and most widely respected American Catholic writer on the relationship between Catholic philosophy and theology and his countrys political life. The highpoint of his influence was the publication of We Hold These Truths in the same year as an election of our countrys first Catholic president. Those two events were celebrated by a Time cover story (December 12, 1960) on Murrays work and influence. The storys author, Protestant Douglas Auchincloss, reported that it was "The most relentlessly intellectual cover story Ive done." His amazingly wide ranging and dense-if not altogether accurate-account of Murrays thought was crowned with a smart and pointed conclusion: "If anyone can help U.S. Catholics and their non-Catholic countrymen toward the disagreement that precedes understanding-John Courtney Murray can." . . . Murrays work, of course, is treated with great respect and has had considerable influence, but now its time to begin to think of him as one of Americas very few genuine political philosophers. His disarmingly lucid and accessible prose has caused his book to be widely cited and celebrated, but it still is not well understood. It is both praised and blamed for reconciling Catholic faith with the fundamental premises of American political life. It is praised by liberals for paving the way for Vatican IIs embrace of the American idea of religious liberty, and it is

Father John Courtney Murray was one of Americas foremost theologians. Born in New York City in 1904, he held degrees from Boston College, Woodstock College, and the Gregorian University in Rome, where he received his doctorate in theology. He was professor of theology at Woodstock College and editor of Theological Studies for over twenty-five years

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