America has long had thinkers who bring the insights of theology and their spiritual traditions into the debate about public affairs. The person who does that best today is, I think, columnist David Brooks.

One of the games people play in the world of religion and theological education is, “Where have all the Reinhold Niebuhrs gone?” Or sometimes it’s “the Paul Tillichs” or, in Catholic circles, “the John Courtney Murrays.” All three were well-known lecturers and writers popular in the mid-20th century.

Their influence extended beyond the church or seminary to politicians, academics in many fields, and civic leaders. They regularly contributed to and influenced public discourse and debate.

They were public theologians. They were able to bring the insights of theological teaching and wisdom to bear on public life and they were able to speak to a wide audience. So where are such figures today? Do they exist? Who are they?…

My own nominee would be none of the above but the New York Times op-ed columnist and essayist, David Brooks. Brooks is not, of course, a professional theologian or religious leader. But he does bring theological perspective and insight to bear on American life and politics.

More often the theological themes tend to be more subtle, as in his recent column on the firing of General Stanley McChrystal, “The Culture of Exposure,” (June 24, 2010) with its references to flawed human nature.

Read More: http://crosscut.com/account/AnthonyBRobinson/  [Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]