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Commonweal (magazine)

January 01, 1970

For other uses, see Commonweal (disambiguation).

Commonweal is a liberal[1][2][a] Catholic journal of opinion, edited and managed by lay people, headquartered in New York City. It is the oldest independent Catholic journal of opinion in the United States.

Commonweal
EditorDominic Preziosi
Frequency11 issues a year
Circulation20,000
First issue1924
CompanyCommonweal Foundation
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York City
LanguageEnglish
Websitecommonwealmagazine.org
ISSN0010-3330

History edit

Founded in 1924 by Michael Williams (1877–1950) and the Calvert Associates, Commonweal is the oldest independent Roman Catholic journal of opinion in the United States. The magazine was originally modeled on The New Republic and The Nation but “expressive of the Catholic note” in covering literature, the arts, religion, society, and politics.

One of the magazine's most famous contributors is Dorothy Day, who began writing for it in 1929. In 1932, she met Peter Maurin, who had visited the offices of Commonweal to spread his ideas of a more radical practice and theory of the works of mercy; the editor of the magazine turned him away but suggested he contact Day. Together, they founded the Catholic Worker.[4] Day continued to contribute to Commonweal for several decades.[5]

Among its other notable contributors, Commonweal has also published Hannah Arendt, Hilaire Belloc, Georges Bernanos, G. K. Chesterton, Ross Douthat, Terry Eagleton, Graham Greene, Elizabeth Johnson, Alasdair MacIntyre, Thomas Merton, Michael Novak, Marilynne Robinson, and Charles Taylor. It has printed the short fiction of Whittaker Chambers, Alice McDermott, J. F. Powers, Valerie Sayers, and Evelyn Waugh; the poetry of W. H. Auden, John Berryman, Robert Lowell, Theodore Roethke, and John Updike; and the artwork of Jean Charlot, Rita Corbin, Fritz Eichenberg, and Emil Antonucci.[6]

Overview edit

The name "commonweal" is a more archaic version of "commonwealth," meaning "the public good."[7] Founding editor Michael Williams chose that name for the magazine because it suggested the magazine's social outlook.[8] William Morris's earlier newspaper of the same name may have influenced the decision, as well.[9][10] The magazine was originally titled The Commonweal, until it dropped the definite article in 1965.[11]

 
The front cover of the first edition of The Commonweal

From its inception, the organization has aimed to engage people through more than its print magazine. The group of mainly lay people who became its first board called themselves "the Calvert Associates" and wanted to spread "Calvert ideals," after the Baron of Baltimore, a proponent of religious liberty (in his case, for Catholics in the English colonies).[12] Today, Commonweal continues to organize community discussion groups "for civil, reasoned debate on the interaction of faith with contemporary politics and culture."[13]

Commonweal publishes editorials, columns, essays, and poetry, along with film, book, and theater reviews. Eleven issues of Commonweal are released each year, with a circulation of approximately 20,000.

Since 2018, the magazine has hosted a weekly or biweekly podcast, whose episodes usually supplement the magazine with interviews on subjects that recently appeared there.[14]

The journal is run as a not-for-profit enterprise and managed by a board of directors.[15]

Viewpoint edit

Commonweal frequently publishes writers from various political and theological perspectives, but tends toward a liberal slant. This orientation has evolved over time.

In the first issue, the editors claimed their lay independence from the Catholic hierarchy and their freedom to publish dissenting voices, while also declaring, "As a sure background The Commonweal will have the continuous, unbroken tradition and teachings of the historic Mother Church."[16] Reviewing the magazine's first two issues, the New York Times called it a "propagandist" for the Church, but one which used "[s]uavity, not ferocity," to defend its ideas.[17] Its ideas have often run counter to other Catholic publications, however, as when it criticized Franco in the 1930s.[18]

After it had gained notoriety, "Commonweal Catholic" became a (sometimes pejorative) term for readers of the magazine, indicating their interest in reformist ideas in church and society.[19] Today, the magazine's stated mission emphasizes progressive politics.[20]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Though see Sandbrook (2007) and Clancy & Green (1987)[3] for a more refined comparison of Commonweal with the American liberal tradition.

References edit

  1. ^ Jordan, P.; Baumann, P. (1999). Commonweal Confronts the Century: Liberal Convictions, Catholic Tradition. Touchstone. back cover. ISBN 978-0-684-86276-7.
  2. ^ Sandbrook, D. (2007). Eugene McCarthy: The Rise and Fall of Postwar American Liberalism. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-307-42577-5.
  3. ^ Clancy, W.; Green, E. (1987). Time's Covenant: The Essays and Sermons of William Clancy. University of Pittsburgh Press Digital Editions. University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-8229-7645-5.
  4. ^ Loughery, John; Randolph, Blythe (2020). Dorothy Day: Dissenting Voice of the American Century. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 123, 133–34. ISBN 978-1-9821-0349-1.
  5. ^ "Day, Dorothy". OpinionArchives.
  6. ^ "A Brief History of Commonweal | Commonweal Magazine". www.commonwealmagazine.org.
  7. ^ "commonweal", Wiktionary, 2023-02-01, retrieved 2023-05-26
  8. ^ Van Allen, Rodger (1974). The Commonweal and American Catholicism: The Magazine, the Movement, the Meaning. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. p. 7. ISBN 0-8006-1076-8.
  9. ^ Wickham, Harvey (4 June 1930). "For the Common Woe". The Commonweal. XII (5): 133–34 – via OpinionArchives.
  10. ^ McCarraher, Eugene (24 Jun 2019). "Turn the Page". Commonweal. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  11. ^ Steinfels, Peter. "Introduction." In Commonweal Confronts the Century: Liberal Convictions, Catholic Tradition, edited by Patrick Jordan and Paul Baumann, 15. New York: Touchstone, 1999.
  12. ^ Van Allen, Rodger (1974). The Commonweal and American Catholicism: The Magazine, the Movement, the Meaning. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. p. 6. ISBN 0-8006-1076-8.
  13. ^ "Commonweal Local Communities". pages.commonwealmagazine.org. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  14. ^ "The Commonweal Podcast on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  15. ^ "Commonweal Foundation Board of Directors | Commonweal Magazine". www.commonwealmagazine.org. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
  16. ^ "An Introduction". The Commonweal. 1 (1): 5. November 12, 1924 – via OpinionArchive.
  17. ^ "Topics of the Times: A Defender Who Doesn't Attack". New York Times. LXXIV (24408): 18. 21 November 1924.
  18. ^ "The Press: Commonweal & Woe". Time. 15 October 1951.
  19. ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (2003-11-01). "James O'Gara, 85, Editor Of Commonweal Magazine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  20. ^ "About Commonweal | Commonweal Magazine". www.commonwealmagazine.org. Retrieved 2023-05-23.

Further reading edit

  • Rodger Van Allen, The Commonweal and American Catholicism: The Magazine, the Movement, the Meaning, Philadelphia: Fortune Press, 1974
  • Rodger Van Allen, Being Catholic: Commonweal from the Seventies to the Nineties, Loyola University Press, 1993
  • Patrick Jordan and Paul Baumann, Commonweal Confronts the Century: Liberal Convictions, Catholic Tradition, Touchstone, 1999
  • Robert B. Clements (1972). "The Commonweal: The Williams-Shuster Years"

External links edit

 
Look up commonweal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • Official website  

January 01, 1970
commonweal, magazine, other, uses, commonweal, disambiguation, major, contributor, this, article, appears, have, close, connection, with, subject, require, cleanup, comply, with, wikipedia, content, policies, particularly, neutral, point, view, please, discuss. For other uses see Commonweal disambiguation A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia s content policies particularly neutral point of view Please discuss further on the talk page June 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message Commonweal is a liberal 1 2 a Catholic journal of opinion edited and managed by lay people headquartered in New York City It is the oldest independent Catholic journal of opinion in the United States CommonwealEditorDominic PreziosiFrequency11 issues a yearCirculation20 000First issue1924CompanyCommonweal FoundationCountryUnited StatesBased inNew York CityLanguageEnglishWebsitecommonwealmagazine wbr orgISSN0010 3330 Contents 1 History 2 Overview 3 Viewpoint 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksHistory editFounded in 1924 by Michael Williams 1877 1950 and the Calvert Associates Commonweal is the oldest independent Roman Catholic journal of opinion in the United States The magazine was originally modeled on The New Republic and The Nation but expressive of the Catholic note in covering literature the arts religion society and politics One of the magazine s most famous contributors is Dorothy Day who began writing for it in 1929 In 1932 she met Peter Maurin who had visited the offices of Commonweal to spread his ideas of a more radical practice and theory of the works of mercy the editor of the magazine turned him away but suggested he contact Day Together they founded the Catholic Worker 4 Day continued to contribute to Commonweal for several decades 5 Among its other notable contributors Commonweal has also published Hannah Arendt Hilaire Belloc Georges Bernanos G K Chesterton Ross Douthat Terry Eagleton Graham Greene Elizabeth Johnson Alasdair MacIntyre Thomas Merton Michael Novak Marilynne Robinson and Charles Taylor It has printed the short fiction of Whittaker Chambers Alice McDermott J F Powers Valerie Sayers and Evelyn Waugh the poetry of W H Auden John Berryman Robert Lowell Theodore Roethke and John Updike and the artwork of Jean Charlot Rita Corbin Fritz Eichenberg and Emil Antonucci 6 Overview editThe name commonweal is a more archaic version of commonwealth meaning the public good 7 Founding editor Michael Williams chose that name for the magazine because it suggested the magazine s social outlook 8 William Morris s earlier newspaper of the same name may have influenced the decision as well 9 10 The magazine was originally titled The Commonweal until it dropped the definite article in 1965 11 nbsp The front cover of the first edition of The Commonweal From its inception the organization has aimed to engage people through more than its print magazine The group of mainly lay people who became its first board called themselves the Calvert Associates and wanted to spread Calvert ideals after the Baron of Baltimore a proponent of religious liberty in his case for Catholics in the English colonies 12 Today Commonweal continues to organize community discussion groups for civil reasoned debate on the interaction of faith with contemporary politics and culture 13 Commonweal publishes editorials columns essays and poetry along with film book and theater reviews Eleven issues of Commonweal are released each year with a circulation of approximately 20 000 Since 2018 the magazine has hosted a weekly or biweekly podcast whose episodes usually supplement the magazine with interviews on subjects that recently appeared there 14 The journal is run as a not for profit enterprise and managed by a board of directors 15 Viewpoint editCommonweal frequently publishes writers from various political and theological perspectives but tends toward a liberal slant This orientation has evolved over time In the first issue the editors claimed their lay independence from the Catholic hierarchy and their freedom to publish dissenting voices while also declaring As a sure background The Commonweal will have the continuous unbroken tradition and teachings of the historic Mother Church 16 Reviewing the magazine s first two issues the New York Times called it a propagandist for the Church but one which used s uavity not ferocity to defend its ideas 17 Its ideas have often run counter to other Catholic publications however as when it criticized Franco in the 1930s 18 After it had gained notoriety Commonweal Catholic became a sometimes pejorative term for readers of the magazine indicating their interest in reformist ideas in church and society 19 Today the magazine s stated mission emphasizes progressive politics 20 See also editAmerica Catholic Worker National Catholic Register National Catholic ReporterNotes edit Though see Sandbrook 2007 and Clancy amp Green 1987 3 for a more refined comparison of Commonweal with the American liberal tradition References edit Jordan P Baumann P 1999 Commonweal Confronts the Century Liberal Convictions Catholic Tradition Touchstone back cover ISBN 978 0 684 86276 7 Sandbrook D 2007 Eugene McCarthy The Rise and Fall of Postwar American Liberalism Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group p 25 ISBN 978 0 307 42577 5 Clancy W Green E 1987 Time s Covenant The Essays and Sermons of William Clancy University of Pittsburgh Press Digital Editions University of Pittsburgh Press p 11 ISBN 978 0 8229 7645 5 Loughery John Randolph Blythe 2020 Dorothy Day Dissenting Voice of the American Century New York Simon amp Schuster pp 123 133 34 ISBN 978 1 9821 0349 1 Day Dorothy OpinionArchives A Brief History of Commonweal Commonweal Magazine www commonwealmagazine org commonweal Wiktionary 2023 02 01 retrieved 2023 05 26 Van Allen Rodger 1974 The Commonweal and American Catholicism The Magazine the Movement the Meaning Philadelphia Fortress Press p 7 ISBN 0 8006 1076 8 Wickham Harvey 4 June 1930 For the Common Woe The Commonweal XII 5 133 34 via OpinionArchives McCarraher Eugene 24 Jun 2019 Turn the Page Commonweal Retrieved 6 June 2023 Steinfels Peter Introduction In Commonweal Confronts the Century Liberal Convictions Catholic Tradition edited by Patrick Jordan and Paul Baumann 15 New York Touchstone 1999 Van Allen Rodger 1974 The Commonweal and American Catholicism The Magazine the Movement the Meaning Philadelphia Fortress Press p 6 ISBN 0 8006 1076 8 Commonweal Local Communities pages commonwealmagazine org Retrieved 2023 06 06 The Commonweal Podcast on Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts 2023 05 25 Retrieved 2023 05 31 Commonweal Foundation Board of Directors Commonweal Magazine www commonwealmagazine org Retrieved 2023 05 31 An Introduction The Commonweal 1 1 5 November 12 1924 via OpinionArchive Topics of the Times A Defender Who Doesn t Attack New York Times LXXIV 24408 18 21 November 1924 The Press Commonweal amp Woe Time 15 October 1951 Wakin Daniel J 2003 11 01 James O Gara 85 Editor Of Commonweal Magazine The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 2023 05 23 About Commonweal Commonweal Magazine www commonwealmagazine org Retrieved 2023 05 23 Further reading editRodger Van Allen The Commonweal and American Catholicism The Magazine the Movement the Meaning Philadelphia Fortune Press 1974 Rodger Van Allen Being Catholic Commonweal from the Seventies to the Nineties Loyola University Press 1993 Patrick Jordan and Paul Baumann Commonweal Confronts the Century Liberal Convictions Catholic Tradition Touchstone 1999 Robert B Clements 1972 The Commonweal The Williams Shuster Years External links edit nbsp Look up commonweal in Wiktionary the free dictionary Official website nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Commonweal magazine amp oldid 1215505635, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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