In her talk at Living Well at the End of a World, Sarah Shortall examines the experiences of French Jesuit priests during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period marked by anti-clericalism and exile, and how these crises led to a revolution in Catholic theology known as the Nouvelle Théologie. Forced out of France, the Jesuits found themselves on the island of Jersey, where they rethought the Church’s role in public life within a modern, secular context, with key figures like Henri de Lubac and Gaston Fessard leading a “spiritual resistance" to fascism during World War II. Shortall draws parallels to our current moment of transition, suggesting we can learn from the French Jesuits’ ability to adapt to modernity and maintain a critical distance from political entanglements.

The Morningside Institute hosted a two-day conference on April 4–5, 2025. On its first day, the conference examined some of the radical changes that Western societies are undergoing. On the second day, we explored in greater detail historical examples of how communities have navigated periods of intense cultural change and even devastation. For more information about Living Well at the End of a World, please visit https://www.morningsideinstitute.org/living-well.