Church, State, and Civil Society in Postauthoritarian Philippines

"The church has played a significant role in helping to bring down authoritarian regimes in Eastern EUrope, Latin America, and the Philippines. Once the dictator is gone, however, does the church have a role to play in the building or rebuilding of a democratic political system? Father Moreno opens up this question with an interesting discussion on the theoretical level. He then examines two cases, the Dioceses of Malaybalay and Bacolod in the Philippines, developing a useful framework for analysis and arriving at the notion of "engaged citizenship" as the primary contribution of the church to democratization in a postauthoritarian situation." - John J. Caroll, SJ, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, Institute on Church and Social Issues