https://doi.org/10.1177/0040563916682388 Theological Studies 2017, Vol. 78(1) 171–192 © Theological Studies, Inc. 2017 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0040563916682388 journals.sagepub.com/home/tsj 1. Bernard Häring, The Law of Christ: Moral Theology for Priests and Laity, trans. Edwin G. Kaiser (Westminster, MD: Newman, 1961) 1:135–88. Conscience, Catholicism, and Politics David E. DeCosse Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA Abstract Reviewing the literature on conscience, Catholicism, and politics, especially from the last ten years, the author argues that there are two views of conscience emerging: the ecclesial view and the personalist view. The author also discusses the significance of historical context for the development of theological thought about conscience in relation to politics. Keywords conscience, freedom, politics, religious freedom, politics, rights, rights of conscience, secularism S ince the Second Vatican Council, the theology of conscience has been applied more to the internal life of the Roman Catholic Church than to the engagement of the church with the world. To be sure, this intra-ecclesial focus has not always been the intention of theologians. The magisterial work of Bernard Häring in texts like The Law of Christ situated conscience squarely in the Church and the world—even if his ideas about conscience have more commonly been invoked with regard to matters like the decision of Catholic married couples to use artificial birth control despite the prohibition of such methods in Catholic moral doctrine. 1 Joseph Corresponding author: David E. DeCosse, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA. Email: DDeCosse@scu.edu 682388TSJ 0 0 10.1177/0040563916682388Theological StudiesDecosse research-article 2017 Article