Baumann will return to Fairfield to discuss his time at the magazine, and he'll explore what has changed – and what has remained the same – in how Catholics engage in the larger culture.
Longtime editor, Paul Baumann, will deliver ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp’s 12 th Annual Commonweal Lecture entitled “My Thirty Years at Commonweal : Some Highlights, Some Mistakes, Some Prospects for the Future," at the Dolan School of Business Dining Room on Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Founded in 1924, Commonweal is the oldest independent lay Catholic journal of opinion in the United States. Its mission is to provide a forum for civil, reasoned debate on the interaction of faith with contemporary politics and culture. It is edited by Catholic laypeople and published by the nonprofit Commonweal Foundation. The magazine will celebrate its hundredth anniversary in 2024.
“Paul Baumann gave the very first Commonweal Lecture,” said Paul Lakeland, PhD, Director of the Center for Catholic Studies, “and it is a great pleasure and privilege to welcome him back. Fairfield’s longstanding relationship to this wonderful Catholic journal is due in no small part to his discerning leadership of thoughtful Catholicism.”
After spending 30 years at Commonweal , Baumann has an unparalleled grasp of the current state of the Catholic intellectual climate. During his lecture, Baumann will explore and ask questions such as, “What has changed and what has largely remained the same over the past three decades, both in internal church issues and in how Catholics engage in the larger culture?” Additionally, he will ponder, “What might we expect to happen in the future when it comes to preserving a vibrant Catholic intellectual tradition?”
Baumann, a Fairfield, Conn. resident, began his career at Commonweal in 1990 and has served as editor-in-chief for the past 15 years. His writing has been published in The New York Times , The Washington Monthly, the Columbia Journalism Review, The Chicago Tribune and several other major publications. Prior to his time at C ommonweal , he worked as a newspaper editorial writer and reporter, and was educated at Wesleyan University and Yale Divinity School.
For more information about the lecture or the Center for Catholic Studies, contact Mary Crimmins at mcrimmins@fairfield.edu .
