Sterling Divinity Quadrangle at Yale (Wikimedia Commons)

In honor of Commonweal’s hundredth anniversary this November, Yale Divinity School interviewed executive director and YDS alumna Ellen B. Koneck in late October about her upbringing and work at the magazine, Commonweal’s role in the public arena during an era of illiberal politics, and the magazine’s outlook as it enters a second century of publication.

Koneck emphasized Commonweal’s unique placement in the media ecosystem as an independent, lay-led Catholic magazine, especially in an era where young people are restructuring their relationship with traditional institutions. “Faith, hope, and love are part of our tradition, but so are doubt and skepticism and moments of unbelief,” Koneck explained. “We get to rely on and contribute to the tradition out of which we come, the Catholic tradition, but we’re not institutional [...] We have no evangelical promise to fulfill. We have no billionaire backers to answer to. We have no bishops who oversee us. We are wholly independent. That’s rare in the media now.”

After the election, Koneck again spoke with Yale Divinity School via phone to discuss Commonweal’s approach to what interviewer Timothy Cahill described as a coming “period when progressive ideas are discounted, distorted, and belittled by many in the centers of power.” Koneck explained that Commonweal would redouble its efforts to provide an independent, thoughtful, and liberal Catholic voice: “The Trump era is going to make our message more important, more urgent,” Koneck said. “I won’t be doing my job if nobody finds us who is looking for a compelling voice from the religious left—or even the religious center.”

Koneck’s interview with Yale Divinity School comes on the back of a flurry of coverage during Commonweal’s centennial, in the New York Times and beyond. Koneck’s interview, which has been edited for concision and clarity, can be found here.

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