Chad Pecknold visited the University on Tuesday evening to deliver a speech at the “Can America Be Saved? The Promise and Perils of Postliberal Politics” event organized by the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA.
The evening began at 7 p.m. with remarks from Eann Tang, president of the University’s TPUSA chapter, who thanked other conservative student groups and the Illini Union for their support and commitment to free speech on campus.
The event was free and open to the public. For safety reasons, organizers prohibited attendees from bringing bags or signs into the venue. Similar precautions were taken at other political events on campus, including Michael Knowles’ talk earlier this spring.
Tang introduced Pecknold, a Cambridge University alum and professor of historical and systematic theology at the Catholic University of America. Following the introduction, Pecknold approached the podium with applause from the crowd.
Pecknold began his speech by explaining its structure. He introduced his definition of postliberal ideology, and then he posed the central question of the evening: “Can America be saved?”
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Pecknold focused on defining postliberalism and distinguishing it from liberalism. As a self-proclaimed postliberal, Pecknold emphasized that understanding postliberal ideology requires first acknowledging the critiques of liberalism.
Pecknold described postliberalism as a philosophical shift and expansion of traditional liberal ideas. He argued that while liberalists often lack shared goals, postliberalism offers common ground.
Central to postliberalism are the values of family, church, tradition, community and preservation, according to Pecknold. He explained that liberalism’s focus on the individual and failure to embrace these core values is why it must evolve.
“Liberalism is failing us, and people are feeling it,” Pecknold said, arguing that the absence of common ends in liberalism doomed it from the start.
Pecknold then referenced the work of American theologian George Lindbeck, a leading figure in postliberal theology. Pecknold noted that Lindbeck first identified this shift in thought around 1985.
The second part of Pecknold’s speech focused on the central question of whether or not America can be “saved.”
“Both the left and the right care about this question,” Pecknold said. “America is accustomed to asking it.”
Pecknold views the current school systems, the decline in traditional family values, a falling birth rate and an uncontrolled border as signs of the decline of liberalism.
“What we project to the world is not that we are at war with China, Russia or anyone else,” Pecknold said. “It’s that we are at war with ourselves.”
He then compared the U.S. to the Roman Empire. Pecknold referenced Roman philosopher Marcus Cicero, who, during Rome’s decline, asked not whether Rome could be saved but whether it was still a “res publica” — a commonwealth.
Pecknold used this analogy to argue that Americans are approaching the situation incorrectly. He suggested that rather than asking whether the country could be saved, Americans should work towards a common mindset.
“Are we still what we claim to be?” Pecknold said.
Pecknold further contended that the U.S.’s lack of common ground contributes to its current political instability. He suggested that the only way to resolve this is for the country to choose between pantheism and Christianity, which, he argued, would provide a common purpose.
According to Pecknold, the idea of a common religion aligns with ideas proposed by postliberal thinkers.
“One must unite postliberalism to a vision of a happy life, not just for the few but for the many,” Pecknold said.
In the conclusion of his speech, Pecknold discussed his belief that America’s salvation is possible but only through divine intervention. He argued that the nation’s problems — rooted in what he sees as the failings of liberalism and a lack of shared values — cannot be solved only through political or societal efforts.
“Just like how we cannot save our souls by ourselves,” Pecknold said, “we cannot save our nation by ourselves without the help of heaven.”
Pecknold claims that divine guidance, rather than human efforts alone, is the key to addressing the nation’s deep divisions and instability.
“It was way more philosophical than I thought it’d be, which is a good thing because it’s election year; the political climate is polarized,” Tang said, referring to Pecknold’s speech. “That’s why we wanted a professor to come instead of someone who works partisanly. I think these theological questions can help with the partisan polarization that we’re facing.”