Matt Sudnik

Beatitudes Society 2007 Fellow - Faith in Public Life; Beatitudes Society Alum Member (Harvard)

This summer I was a Beatitudes Society Fellow at Faith In Public Life in Washington DC. I had just completed my MTS at Harvard Divinity School in June and am a new member to the Beatitudes Society.

While I concentrated my studies in the area of Christian social ethics at Harvard, I found it necessary "do ethics" in order to understand what is really at stake in our ethical deliberation. Therefore, during my two years of divinity school I worked for First Church Shelter Cambridge and with the Harvard Prison Education Project. I had always been committed to the idea of social justice, which was introduced to me through the Christian faith. Yet my concrete service in the shelters and prisons of Massachusetts taught me that justice cannot be reduced to a theological exercise. There are too many people suffering in our world. I feel that for Christianity to be real it must fundamentally be a way of life. All further speculation is secondary to Christian praxis.

In this respect, my summer fellowship at Faith In Public Life has been extremely fruitful. I am engaging the tools of media outreach and grassroots organizing as well as researching the work of progressive seminarians all over the country. Right now, we're assisting the Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill with news ads and a press conference. We are helping to raise the issues of food production, farm subsidies and food stamps into the American values debate.

In addition to my work at FPL, sharing theological reflection with the other summer fellows of the Beatitudes Society have played a crucial role in helping me to keep faith during these summer months. I am often discouraged by the daily perversion of the Christian faith by right-wing interests. The reflection time and social outings with the other fellows has helped me to confront my concerns and remember the true goodness of the gospel. I know that both Faith In Public Life and the Beatitudes Society will be valuable allies for me in my future ministries.

Strengthening the progressive Christian network for justice, compassion, & peace