About the Project

The Democracy, Culture and Catholicism International Research Project (DCCIRP) is a collaborative undertaking by The Joan and Bill Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage (CCIH) and the Office of the Associate Provost and Assistant to the President for Global Affairs and Initiatives. It gathers scholars from four continents to study the complex relationship between democracy and Roman Catholicism in the modern world.

Since the 18th century, Roman Catholics have been either deliberate or accidental participants in every democratic experiment with self-government, competitive elections, equal opportunity, civil rights, and freedom of expression in the world. Scholarly analysis of this phenomenon is rare, especially within different cultures and across distinct contexts, such as art, literature, religion, politics, law, economics, and communication.

The DCCIRP will assemble more than 30 scholars from around the world to work together for three years on an analysis of the relationship between democracy and Roman Catholicism from the vantage point of each scholar's cultural focus and specific field of expertise. In this way, the DCCIRP offers a truly unique multicultural and interdisciplinary opportunity for collaborative research on the complex relationship between democracy and Roman Catholicism in the modern world.

Support for the DCCIRP

Support for the DCCIRP has been provided for by:

Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J.
Office of the President
Loyola University, Chicago

Helen Brach Foundation
Chicago, IL

Please contact the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage to inquire about supporting the efforts of the Democracy, Culture and Catholicism International Research Project:

The Joan and Bill Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage
Loyola University Chicago
Lake Shore Campus
1032 W. Sheridan Rd.
Crown Center for Humanities
Room 116
Chicago, IL 60660
Phone: 773.508.3820
catheritage@luc.edu

Michael J. Schuck, PhD, Director
Katie O’Donnell, Manager