R.I.P. Rev. Richard John Neuhaus

Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, a Catholic theologian and former Lutheran pastor, died on January 8 in New York City. He was 72 years old. He was diagnosed with cancer in November 2008 and subsequently contracted a systemic infection.

Rev. Neuhaus was the author of “The Naked Public Square”, his best known work, that argued the democracy must not be stripped of religious morality. He was also the editor-in-chief of “First Things” a monthly journal of social thought and religion.

President George W. Bush joined others in mourning the loss, “Laura and I are saddened by the death of Father Richard John Neuhaus. Father Neuhaus was an inspirational leader, admired theologian, and accomplished author who devoted his life to the service of the Almighty and to the betterment of our world. He was also a dear friend, and I have treasured his wise counsel and guidance. Our thoughts and prayers are with Father Neuhaus' family, friends, and fellow clergy during this difficult time.” Rev. Neuhaus was an advisor to President Bush on issues such as embryonic stemcell research and homosexual marriage.

Rev. Neuhaus was credited, and sometimes vilified, for seeking to forge an alliance with U.S. Evanglical Christian leaders in the burgeoning political movement of conservatives from the 1980s onward. He and Charles Colson, who once served President Richard Nixon, were essential in producing the 1994 manifesto “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” that has been credited with helping to cement the partnership, which reshaped American politics.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Rev. Neuhaus became a Lutheran minister as his father was before him. Once he came to the United States, he embraced liberal Democratic Party leanings and admired Senator Eugene McCarthy – a Catholic and critic of the war in Viet Nam. Rev. Neuhaus also took a leadership role in the civil rights movement in the 1960s and was paired with Dr. Martin Luther King during the latter’s march on Selma, Alabama.

Rev. Neuhaus was the Lutheran pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Brooklyn, New York, and was once arrested at the New York City Board of Education headquarters for demanding racial integration of the public schools. He also helped to create an inter-faith group in opposition to the war in Viet Nam. As a delegate for Sen. McCarthy at the 1969 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, he was arrested for disorderly conduct. Two years, later he made an unsuccessful attempt to represent Brooklyn’s 14th U.S. Congressional District.

In 1990, Rev. Neuhaus embraced the Catholic faith and a year later became a priest, serving in the Archdiocese of New York. He wrote and edited numerous books, among them “The Catholic Moment: The Paradox of the Church in the Postmodern World,” and “Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross.” His last book, “American Babylon,” from Basic Books in April 2009, argues that Christians in America must learn to live as if they are in exile from the promised land.