In short, expressions of political Manichaeism and apocalyptic geopolitics tend to express a polemical orientation (war and struggle). By contrast, the expressions used by Pope Francis tend to express a milder agonistic orientation (contest and struggle).
Not surprisingly, the basic point of article-length editorial by Spadaro and Figueroa is to advance Pope Francis' views, most notably the views he expresses in his widely known eco-encyclical. Unfortunately, the co-authors structure their lengthy editorial so that Pope Francis' views are set forth toward the end. In my estimate, the authors should have delineated the key points from the pope's views first, and then proceeded to set up the points of contrast that concern them -- perhaps then returning to affirming Pope Francis' important points in a summary at the end. However, this way of proceeding would probably have required a somewhat lengthier article, unless some of the historical information about American Protestant Evangelicals were cut or shortened significantly.
In the earlier part of their article, Spadaro and Figueroa use broad strokes to delineate the American Protestant Evangelicals' views that the co-authors contrast with Pope Francis' views.
For further information about American Protestant Evangelicals, see Frances Fitzgerald's new book The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America (Simon & Schuster, 2017). Regarding certain individuals mentioned by Spadaro and Figueroa such as Lyman Stewart, Pastor Rousas John Rushdoony, and Pastor Norman Vincent Peale, see the index in her book for specific page references.
For a discussion of the alliance between certain conservative American Catholics and American Protestant Evangelicals, see Garry Wills' book Head and Heart: American Christianities (Penguin Press, 2007).
Also see Damon Linker's book The Theocons: Secular America Under Siege (Doubleday, 2006).
So what exactly are Pope Francis' views that Spadaro and Figueroa seek to advance? According to them, "the ecumenism employed by Pope Francis with various Christian bodies and other religious confessions . . . is an ecumenism that moves under the urge of inclusion, peace, encounter and bridges."
The co-authors also say, "An evident aspect of Pope Francis' geopolitics rests in not giving theological room to the power to impose oneself or to find an internal or external enemy to fight" -- in a polemical spirit.
In conclusion, many American Catholic bishops such as Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, author of the new book Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World (Henry Holt, 2017), still tend to be cultural warriors. In the polemical spirit of war and struggle, they still tend to strongly hostile to Pope Francis' less combative agonistic spirit of contest and struggle. Consequently, I cannot imagine any American Catholic venue publishing such a sharp critique of conservative American Catholics as Spadaro and Figueroa's critique is. Unfortunately, it appears that there are no American commentators as well-versed in Pope Francis' thought as Spadaro and Figueroa are.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
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