Do you always follow your conscience? Do you understand what to do with your liberty?
Dr. David P. Deavel, Chair of Theology at the University of St. Thomas-Houston, delivered thought-provoking talks on the crucial matters of conscience and freedom at Acton University’s recent four-day conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The annual conference, drew participants from 80 countries and offered over 100 courses, exploring theology, philosophy, entrepreneurship, international development and market-based economies. Acton University is a project of The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, a think tank for promoting a “free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles.”
Dr. Deavel’s two courses were titled “Conscience: What It Is and Why We Need It” and “Taking Advantage of Freedom: Solzhenitsyn on What to Do with Liberty When You Have It.”
Examining Conscience
“Conscience” was a new and significant addition to this year’s lineup, proposed by Dr. Deavel.
“It’s important for Acton University attendees because, though many are religious and rely upon their consciences, in-depth discussion about the nature of conscience is rare,” Dr. Deavel said. “That’s because, in many parts of the world, the original notion relies on the concept of knowing the natural law. And natural law is perceived as a distinctly Christian or even Catholic thing. What was encouraging at the conference was the agreement and persuasion my presentation found even among Muslim attendees.”
The associate professor explained what he called “counterfeit definitions” of conscience that can lead some individuals to do whatever is most convenient or most fitting or suits their self-will.
He also addressed the confounding reality that conscience isn’t always correct in its judgments — that this is the pathway by which divine light comes, and it can be refracted in our minds and look different, but it doesn’t lose its power to “command us.”
He emphasized, “So, if this interior force of guidance is an endowed gift of the divine God, it’s something we need to nurture — part of divine wisdom.”
Protecting Freedom
In his second Acton course, Dr. Deavel explored freedom, which was particularly interesting since many people worldwide believe their freedom is under assault in numerous ways. The goal of this talk was to protect freedom and make it bear fruit.
Dr. Deavel shared, “In the subsequent Q&A period, people from many countries attending this lecture remarked that Solzhenitsyn’s classical and Christian insights helped them think about their own tasks in our time and in their particular nations.”
Conference Stimulates Critical Thinking in UST Students
Several UST students attended the conference thanks to fellowships provided by UST's McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise. Dr. Deavel hopes to see even more UST students next year.
“It was great to expose some of our students to this dynamic conference designed to get people to think about the philosophical conditions for a society that is both free and virtuous,” Dr. Deavel said. “I hope we’ll be able to expand UST’s student presence next year to think about faith, business, and a flourishing culture.”
About Dr. David P. Deavel: He is the 2013 winner of the Novak Prize; he has been a Lincoln Fellow at the Claremont Institute and co-edited “Solzhenitsyn and American Culture: The Russian Soul in the West.” He is a senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative and has published hundreds of articles and reviews in a wide variety of books and popular and scholarly journals, including America, City Journal, First Things, Journal of Markets & Morality, Library of Law and Liberty, Nova et Vetera and the Wall Street Journal.