Fall 2026 McGinley Chair Lecture: “Morality and U.S. Foreign Policy”

Lecture by Thomas Massaro, SJ, Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society

Respondent: Sarah Lockhart, PhD, professor of political science

Disagreements regarding the proper orientation of United States foreign policy have been endemic throughout American history. A succession of official and unofficial “doctrines” has displayed a mix of principles (such as the extension of democracy and the protection of human rights across the globe) and political realism as primary motivations for the engagement of the United States with international affairs. Father Massaro will assess the practice of U.S. foreign policy in light of the principles of international order recommended in Catholic social teaching. In her response, political scientist Sarah Lockhart, PhD, will comment further on both the achievements and lacunae within U.S. foreign policy at various points in our national history.

All students, faculty and staff of Fordham University are invited to attend, as are members of the wider New York community.