Anthony Stevens-Arroyo on Catholics and the Tea Party

Randall Stephens

Over at the Washington Post's On Faith blog Anthony Stevens-Arroyo offers an interesting historical take on Catholicism and contemporary politics. For those faithful who are ready to pitch their tent with the Tea Party, he points to a 16th-century counter example: Jesuit priest Juan de Mariana (1536-1624). Stevens-Arroyo contrasts the radicalism of Mariana with Tea Party anti-statism. He also asks Catholics to consider whether the Tea Party "contributes to a culture of violence." I don't think Stevens-Arroyo's guilt-by-innuendo works here. Still the article is food for thought.

Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, "Taxes, tyranny and a Catholic Tea Party," On Faith, July 28, 2010.

Can a Catholic be a member of today's Tea Party? There are many versions of the Tea Party in the United States today but what they have in common is how they link taxation and tyranny. It may surprise some that the justification to rebel against taxation and tyranny is found in the writings of the 16th century Jesuit priest, Juan de Mariana (1536-1624). This first of the Catholic Tea Partyers, however, could teach the current movement a thing or two. read on >>>