Michael John Novak Jr. (September 9, 1933 – February 17, 2017) was an American
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. The author of more than forty books on the philosophy and theology of culture, Novak is most widely known for his book ''
The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism
''The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism'' is a 1982 book by philosopher Michael Novak, in which Novak aims to understand and analyze the theological assumptions of democratic capitalism, its spirit, its values, and its intentions. Novak defines d ...
'' (1982). In 1993 Novak was honored with an honorary doctorate at
Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Francisco Marroquín University (Spanish: ''Universidad Francisco Marroquín''), also known by the abbreviation UFM, is a private, secular university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. It describes its mission as "to teach and disseminate the ethical ...
due to his commitment to the idea of liberty. In 1994 he was awarded the
Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion
The Templeton Prize is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, "whose exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton's philanthropic vision: harnessing the power of the sciences to explore the deepest ques ...
, which included a million-dollar purse awarded at Buckingham Palace. He wrote books and articles focused on
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...
, religion, and the
politics of democratization.
Novak served as
in 1981 and 1982 and led the US delegation to the
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) was a key element of the détente process during the Cold War. Although it did not have the force of a treaty, it recognized the boundaries of postwar Europe and established a mechanism f ...
in 1986. Additionally, Novak served on the board of directors of the now-defunct
Coalition for a Democratic Majority
The Coalition for a Democratic Majority (CDM) was a centrist faction, active in the 1970s within the Democratic Party of the United States.
The CDM was formed in December 1972, after the landslide victory of Republican Richard Nixon over Democr ...
, a conservative anti-Communist faction of the
Democratic Party, which sought to influence the party's policies in the same direction that the
Committee on the Present Danger later did. Novak was George Frederick Jewett Scholar in Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy at the
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right Washington, D.C.–based think tank that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare. A ...
. In 2004, he claimed to be a lifelong Democrat, while noting that he has supported many
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidates.
Early life, education, and family
Novak was born on September 9, 1933, in
Johnstown,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, to a Slovak-American family, the son of Irene (Sakmar) and Michael J. Novak. He was married to Karen Laub-Novak, a professional artist and illustrator, who died of cancer in August 2009. They have three children (Richard, Tanya, and Jana) and four grandchildren.
Novak earned a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree ''
summa cum laude'' in philosophy and English from
Stonehill College in 1956, a
Bachelor of Sacred Theology The Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus; abbreviated STB), not to be confused with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology, is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Licentiate in Sacre ...
degree from the
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy.
The Gregorian originated as ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
in 1958, and a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
degree in history and philosophy of religion from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
in 1966. Novak attended Harvard University to study philosophy and religion, intending to obtain a doctorate in philosophy of religion. Novak stated that he thought the philosophy department was too focused on
analytic philosophy, neglecting religion. He left Harvard after receiving his master's degree and began work as a writer.
Early writings
Second Vatican Council
Novak worked as a correspondent for the ''
National Catholic Reporter
The ''National Catholic Reporter'' (''NCR'') is a progressive national newspaper in the United States that reports on issues related to the Catholic Church. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, ''NCR'' was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964. Hoyt want ...
'' during the second session of the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...
in Rome, where he also got the opportunity to fulfill a book contract for a fellow reporter who was not able to complete the project. The result was Novak's second book, ''The Open Church'', a journalistic account of the events of the second session of the council.
His writings at the time were criticized by the more conservative factions in the church, and apostolic delegate
Egidio Vagnozzi advised US churchmen to silence him.
Early books
Early in his career, Novak published two novels: ''The Tiber Was Silver'' (1961) and ''Naked I Leave'' (1970). At the time, he considered the modest $600 advance to be "a fortune."
''Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics''
Novak proposed that the
white ethnic
White ethnic is a term used to refer to white Americans who are not Old Stock or White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. "Religion is the most critical factor in separating white ethnics in American society. As Catholics and secondarily Jews ... they were ...
was a distinct race of whites from
WASPs
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...
who had attempted to erase their cultural heritage and assimilate them. He supported the notion of
separate but equal
Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law, according to which racial segregation did not necessarily violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which nominally guaranteed "equal protec ...
while rejecting
multiculturalism
The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
and
melting pot theory. He argues that
white ethnics will reject assimilation and live separately from other races. He argues that African Americans and white ethnics should unite due to their common class struggle while also denouncing "socialist" integration policies that "unfairly" supported women and African-Americans to the detriment of taxpaying "white ethnics".
Stanford years
Novak's friendship with the
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
Robert McAfee Brown during the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...
led to a teaching post at
Stanford University, where he became the first
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
to teach in the
humanities
Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...
program. Novak taught at
Stanford University from 1965 to 1968, during the key years of student revolt throughout California. During this period, he wrote ''A Time to Build'' (1967), discussing problems of belief and unbelief,
ecumenism,
sexuality, and
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. In 1968, he signed the "
Writers and Editors War Tax Protest
Tax resistance, the practice of refusing to pay taxes that are considered unjust, has probably existed ever since rulers began imposing taxes on their subjects. It has been suggested that tax resistance played a significant role in the collapse of ...
" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in
protest against the Vietnam War. In ''A Theology for Radical Politics'' (1969), Novak makes theological arguments in support of the New Left student movement, which he urged to advance the renewal of the human spirit rather than merely to reform social institutions. His book ''Politics: Realism and Imagination'' includes accounts of visiting American Vietnam War deserters in France ("Desertion"), the birth and development of the student movement at Stanford ("Green Shoots of Counter-Culture") and philosophical essays on
nihilism and
Marxism
Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical ...
.
SUNY Old Westbury
Novak left Stanford for a post as dean of a new "experimental" school at the newly founded
State University of New York at Old Westbury
The State University of New York College at Old Westbury (SUNY at Old Westbury) is a public college in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York. It enrolls just over 5,000 students.
History
The State Uni ...
,
Long Island.
Novak's writings during this period included the philosophical essay ''The Experience of Nothingness'' (1970, republished in 1998), in which he cautioned the New Left that utopianism could lead to alienation and rootlessness. Novak's novel ''Naked I Leave'' (1970) chronicles his experiences in California and in the Second Vatican Council and his journey from seminarian to reporter.
Later career
After serving at Old Westbury/SUNY from 1969 to 1972, Novak launched the humanities program at the Rockefeller Foundation in 1973–1974. In 1976, he accepted a tenured position at Syracuse University as University Professor and Ledden-Watson Distinguished Professor of Religion. In the fall semesters of 1987 and 1988, Novak held the W. Harold and Martha Welch chair as Professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
In the spring of 1978, Novak joined the
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right Washington, D.C.–based think tank that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare. A ...
for Social Policy Research as a Resident Scholar, a position he held for more than a decade. He would later stay with the American Enterprise Institute as the George Frederick Jewett Chair of Religion, Philosophy, and Public Policy, and as the Institute's Director of Social and Political Studies.
Novak was a frequent contributor to magazines and journals including ''
First Things
''First Things'' (''FT'') is an ecumenical and conservative religious journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The magazine, which focuses on theology, liturgy, church history, religio ...
'' and ''
National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...
''. In 1994, he was a signer of the document
Evangelicals and Catholics Together
''Evangelicals and Catholics Together'' is a 1994 ecumenical document signed by leading Evangelical and Catholic scholars in the United States. The co-signers of the document were Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus, representing each side o ...
. On December 12, 2007, Novak declared his support for the presidential candidacy of
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Mitt Romney.
In 2012, he authored an article entitled 'The Moral Imperative of a Free Economy' in ''
The 4% Solution: Unleashing the Economic Growth America Needs'', published by the
George W. Bush Presidential Center
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which opened on April 25, 2013, is a complex that includes former United States President George W. Bush's presidential library and museum, the George W. Bush Policy Institute, and the offices of the Geor ...
.
Novak was a founding board member of the
Institute on Religion and Democracy
The Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) is an American Christian conservative think tank that promotes its views among mainline Protestant churches, as well as advocating for its values in the public square. Its critics claim that it has bee ...
. He was also a founding member of the
Board of Trustees of
Ave Maria University
Ave Maria University (AMU) is a private Roman Catholic university in Ave Maria, Florida. It shares its history with the former Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan, which was founded in 1998 and moved its campus in 2007. The two schools w ...
and was a member of the
Ave Maria Mutual Funds Catholic Advisory Board. A portrait of Novak by
Igor Babailov hangs in the Canizaro Library on campus.
In 2016 he joined the
Tim and Steph Busch School of Business and Economics of the
Catholic University of America as a distinguished visiting professor.
Novak died of complications from
colon cancer February 17, 2017, in Washington, DC, at the age of 83.
Bibliography
* ''Social Justice Isn't What You Think It Is'' (2015) ,
* ''Writing from Left to Right: My Journey From Liberal to Conservative'' (2013)
* ''The Myth of Romantic Love and Other Essays'' (with Elizabeth Shaw) (2012)
* ''Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation'' (with William E. Simon) (2011) ,
* ''All Nature is a Sacramental Fire: Moments of Beauty, Sorrow, and Joy'' (2011)
* ''No One Sees God: The Dark Night of Atheists and Believers'' (2008)
* ''Washington's God: Religion, Liberty, and the Father of Our Country'' (with Jana Novak) (2006) ,
* ''Universal Hunger for Liberty: Why the Clash of Civilizations is Not Inevitable'' (2004)
* ''On Two Wings: Humble Faith and Common Sense at the American Founding'' (2001)
* ''Business as a Calling'' (1996)
* ''The Catholic Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism'' (1993).
* ''Free Persons and the Common Good'' (1988)
* ''Tell Me Why'' (1998)
* ''The Open Church'' (1964, 2002)
* ''Joy of Sports'' (1976, 1994)
* ''Catholic Social Thought and Liberal Institutions'' (1984, 1989)
* ''This Hemisphere of Liberty'' (1990, 1992)
* ''Will It Liberate? Questions About Liberation Theology'' (1986)
* ''Toward the Future''
*''Toward a theology of the corporation'', Lanham, MD : University Press of America, 1981. ,
*''Confession of a Catholic'', Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1985, ,
* ''Moral Clarity in a Nuclear Age'' (1983) ,
* ''Ascent of the Mountain, Flight of the Dove''
* ''Character and Crime'' London: Brownson Institute, 1988. ,
* ''On Cultivating Liberty''
* ''The Fire of Invention''
* ''The Guns of Lattimer''
* ''Choosing Presidents''
* ''A Free Society Reader''
* ''Three in One''
* ''The New Consensus on Family and Welfare: A Community of Self-Reliance'' (Novak et al.) (1987).
* ''
The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism
''The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism'' is a 1982 book by philosopher Michael Novak, in which Novak aims to understand and analyze the theological assumptions of democratic capitalism, its spirit, its values, and its intentions. Novak defines d ...
'' (1982). .
* ''Rise of the Unmeltable Ethnics: The New Political Force of the Seventies'' (1972).
* ''The Experience of Nothingness'' (1970; revised and expanded 1998).
* ''Naked I Leave'' (novel, 1970).
* ''Belief and Unbelief, a Philosophy of Self-Knowledge'' (1965; 3rd ed. 1994).
* ''The Tiber was Silver'' (novel, 1962). ,
See also
*
American philosophy
*
Democratic capitalism
*
List of American philosophers
This is a list of American philosophers; of philosophers who are either from, or spent many productive years of their lives in the United States.
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References
External links
*
Graduation speechat
Universidad Francisco Marroquín
Francisco Marroquín University (Spanish: ''Universidad Francisco Marroquín''), also known by the abbreviation UFM, is a private, secular university in Guatemala City, Guatemala. It describes its mission as "to teach and disseminate the ethical ...
in 1993.
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Novak, Michael
1933 births
2017 deaths
American Enterprise Institute
American male non-fiction writers
American people of Slovak descent
American people of Slovenian descent
American political philosophers
American political writers
American tax resisters
California Democrats
Catholic philosophers
Critics of atheism
Harvard University alumni
New York (state) Democrats
Pennsylvania Democrats
People from Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Recipients of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Representatives of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council
Roman Catholic writers
State University of New York at Old Westbury faculty
Stonehill College alumni
Templeton Prize laureates
The American Spectator people
Activists from California
Writers from Pennsylvania
Deaths from colorectal cancer
Catholics from Pennsylvania
Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs
Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery