Fitzpatrick Lecturer Speaks on Christians’ Role in Politics

Woodberry Forest School welcomed essayist Peter Wehner as the 2024 Fitzpatrick Lecture Series speaker on September 19. His remarks, titled "How can Christians be a healing force in contemporary society?" drew on his experience serving in three presidential administrations, including as deputy director of presidential speechwriting for President George W. Bush. 

In introducing his topic, Mr. Wehner said, “In too many cases, those who claim to be followers of Jesus are subordinating the Christian faith to political tribalism, partisan loyalties, and political power.” He went on to describe seven ways that Christians can engage in political discourse. He recommended, for example, listening to learn — not to respond or justify — and arguing for truth rather than for victory. He closed by asserting that politics matters “and it should matter to people of faith. The reason is that politics is … about pursuing justice, even if imperfectly. And justice always matters.”

During the question and answer portion of the evening, Mr. Wehner commented on questions from students who wondered about the changes in politics and political discourse he has seen and expects to see in the future. He shared a story from his time in the George W. Bush administration when he was concerned about a harsh statement the president made about opponents to the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Wehner took his concerns to the White House communications director and President Bush changed the way he spoke. Now, however, Mr. Wehner hears far more heated rhetoric.

“I hope it’s not sustained,” he said, predicting that the tenor of political discussion will improve. “The American capacity for self-renewal is pretty impressive, and we’ve had other periods in our history that have been worse than this.”

Peter Wehner is a graduate of the University of Washington and is the editor or author of six books, including "The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump.” He writes on politics, faith, and culture for The New York Times and The Atlantic. 

Earlier in the day, Mr. Wehner visited Woodberry's journalism class, where he spoke about the process of speechwriting and about the role of journalism in American politics. Mr. Wehner answered questions from students in the class on topics that ranged from where he gets his ideas for his New York Times opinion pieces to how he's been able to maintain friendships as a republican who is critical of former president Donald Trump.

The Fitzpatrick Lecture Series began in 1975, made possible by the gifts of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Fitzpatrick of New Orleans, Louisiana. Their four sons, Whitfield ’60, the late Peter ’64, Vaughan ’67, and James ’74, have made financial contributions to the lecture series. Two Fitzpatrick grandsons, Gustave ’93 and Fletcher ’98, also attended Woodberry. The late Mr. Fitzpatrick was an associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, executive editor and director of Landmark Communications, and editor of the New Orleans States. He received the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished editorial writing. Mr. Fitzpatrick served on the Woodberry Forest School board of trustees from 1975 to 1981 and was named an honorary alumnus in 1982. Past speakers in the series include presidential candidate Ralph Nader, astronaut Fred Haise, human rights activist Yeonmi Park, and civil rights leader James Farmer.