Seminarraum VI der Katholisch-Theologische Fakultät, Karl-Rahner-Platz 3, 1. OG

Catholic ‘integralism‘ challenges a fundamental principle of modern liberal democracy by seeking to subordinate the state to the supposed higher moral, even legal, authority of the (Catholic) church. While this specific goal would be seriously problematic and regressive, integralists also seek to revive an older language of the ‘common good‘, rooted in classical natural law, as the purpose of the state. The paper argues, via a critique of leading American integralist and legal theorist Adrian Vermeule, that the latter goal is not essentially illiberal. With significant modifications, what Vermeule calls ‚common good constitutionalism‘ could be seen as making a legitimate contribution to liberal democratic discourse.

Dr Jonathan Chaplin is a Fellow of Wesley House, Cambridge Theological Federation, where he contributes to the work of the Centre for Faith in Public Life, and is an affiliate of Cambridge University Divinity Faculty. He is a political theologian working on the state, democracy, justice, pluralism, multiculturalism, secularism, church-state relations, religious freedom, Christian-Muslim dialogue, and ecotheology. His books include Beyond Establishment: Resetting Church-State Relations in England (SCM 2022), Faith in Democracy: Framing a Politics of Deep Diversity (SCM 2021) and Herman Dooyeweerd: Christian Philosopher of State and Civil Society (University of Notre Dame 2011). His latest article is ‘How should states recognise religion? Strengthening multicultural secularism‘, Religion, State and Society (February 2026).

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