Diversity and Distrust
Macedo, Stephen
yields a skewed sense of the problem. Re- "civic" and intended more to maximize cases like the Amish or Catholic and ligious communities are not the greatest the autonomy of...
...For example, his chapter on Mexico eral values than by further inhibiting the I Pope John Paul II announced chronicles, in some detail, the life and actions of parents and religious groups...
...In short, there are better ways to ad- n his apostolic letter Tertio for a whole nation's history of persecuvance "liberal public reason" and core lib- millenio adveniente (1994), tion...
...Gross disparities be- wonder if Macedo's "civic liberalism" ous problem is a secularism that denies tween suburban and urban public school and "liberal public reason" are really lib- any public standing for religion whatsystems, for example, have a much greater eral at all...
...Catholic or parochial the 1994 letter, decided to write a book providing a readable survey even though schools may in fact do a better job of pro- on such martyrs...
...Neither ACLU liberals nor soever...
...Tied to geographical districts whatsoever in inculcating something as which religion historically has been, (and locality to social lass and race), pub- potentially oppressive as "civic ideals," and still is, a friend and wellspring of lic schools are often provincial and segre- even the modest version outlined here...
...militant atheistic states under commuthe civic equation...
...He says, in his and parochial schools may offer just the vided us with a useful panoramic view introduction, that he will leave such isvalues that liberal democratic institutions of the many people who died for Christ sues to the "church," by which he means, themselves are incapable of providing...
...Marginal ical philosophy at the University of Chicago among different groups, the case of wealthy parents pulling their children out of public institutions is at least as problematic as the obstinacy of religious fundamentalists...
...His material These values are obviously vital for main- at the Colosseum in Rome to honor (but on such sad places as Sudan is much taining liberal democratic institutions, and not by name) such witnesses to the faith...
...a plan to create a martyr- death of Miguel Pro, S.J., as well as the Without denying for a moment the lam- ology of all those Catholic, Orthodox, death of so many other priests, sisters, entable prejudice and narrow-minded- Anglican, and Protestant-who suffered and lay Catholic activists...
...cious chapter on the recent martyrs of respect for law and legitimate authority...
...of course, the Roman dicasteries...
...If we truly want to will complain that the author's prescrip- Richard Boyd is a graduate student in politfoster habits of tolerance and mutuality tions do not go far enough...
...Toler- Robert Royal derance of his material comes from the ance, though essential, is only one side of Crossroad/Herder & Herder, $39.95, 448 pp...
...more sketchy, but that story is, alas, still are little encouraged by contemporary Robert Royal, inspired by the words of unfolding...
...Royal has done a good job in market society...
...0 gated environments that reinforce racial Others more amenable to community and class distinctions...
...As Royal notes, the preponMacedo emphasizes are sufficient...
...necessary convergence between the val- was still a monumental task...
...While he restricted his the sources he relies on are, at times, moting such civic virtues...
...However, he does provide a juditeach virtues like patriotism, loyalty, and for the faith in the twentieth century...
...Yet, by Perhaps the greatest irony of this work is In some chapters, Royal's strategy is canonizing as martyrs Edith Stein and that Macedo's "civic ideals" seem less to tell one person's story as a microcosm Maximilian Kolbe (to name just two), the Commonweal 26 September 22,2000...
...Actual experience of, and interaction with, other peoples and cultures is crucial...
...In other places ness of many Americans, it is important to (the Ukraine, for example), the sheer step back and consider whether the tol- The Catholic Martyrs scope of the persecution demanded a erance, openness, and critical reflection of the Twentieth Century wider lens...
...In advancing his robust version impact on the development of tolerance, multiculturalists will readily concede that of "civic liberalism," Macedo fails to mutual respect, or a sense of a common the public school ought to have any role account adequately for the ways in civic life...
...By assuming a efforts to Roman Catholic martyrs, his overly hagiographic...
...Shouldn't schools also nism...
...By being judiciously selective dom and the challenges provided by al" institutions like the family, church, as well as writing well, Royal has pro- contemporary martyrs...
...political liberty...
...Re- "civic" and intended more to maximize cases like the Amish or Catholic and ligious communities are not the greatest the autonomy of private individuals...
...evangelical homeschoolers notwiththreat to the sort of civic community Mace- Many self-identified liberals will also standing, the nation's more conspicudo rightly longs for...
...in the twentieth century...
...More than While I recognize that this is a work ues of public institutions and those of civil eight thousand names of proposed of history, I am sorry that Royal did not society, Macedo misses one of the para- Catholic martyrs have been forwarded elucidate better the concept of martyrdoxes of democracy: ostensibly "illiber- to Rome...
...Moreover, as advocates of mandatory civil service and civic education suggest, there are more direct means of forging civic ideals than striving for the kind of "liberal" control over public school curricula Macedo advocates...
...Last May a public celebration was held Central and Latin America...
Vol. 127 • September 2000 • No. 16
