That 60's Theology

Almost 20% of the faculty at Boston College has signed a letter by two theology professors protesting that institution granting of an honorary degree to Condi Rice. An excellent summary of the issue by Anil Adyanthaya is here.

Because Dr. Rice is one of the architects of an "unjust war," and her article in 2000 in Foreign Affairs, the professors believe that her ideas are incompatible with Catholic and Jesuit thought, and should not be thus exalted.

Let me guess. Their step-by-step through the Just War doctrine specifies the UN as the legitimate authority. Yes, I believe it was Athanasius, or perhaps Anselm who specified that the legitimate authority was a collection of the governments of many nations, regardless of their individual moral authority. No other answer is possible.

I have commented previously on the holiness that the American left assigns to transnationalism. Because the Church is transnational, it must follow, as the night does the day, that transnational groups are holier than the merely national. To seek America's best interest is necessarily flawed; universal interest must dictate our affairs.

I am curious whether the professors apply that principle more universally. They are educators, and their job is to educate the young. But if BC recruits a professor from a larger school, isn't BC's educational excellence achieved at the expense of the larger world? If BC accepts talented students, are they not stealing them from Brandeis? The idea that a person might be assigned by God to protect a certain interest or group of people seems incompatible with the professors' contention.