Chris Korzen

Chris Korzen is an American progressive political activist and author. He is co-founder and director of the influential liberal organization Catholics United. Korzen lives in Portland, Maine.^[1]

Education and career

Korzen attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduating in 1998 with a B.A. in History.^[2] He worked as an organizer with the Service Employees International Union and as a Web developer, and later attended the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. Korzen also holds a Master of Theological Studies from Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[1]

In 2004 Korzen and fellow activist James Salt started the Catholic Voting Project, which later became Catholics United.^[1]

Writing and media activism

In 2008, Korzen co-authored A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good director Alexia Kelley. The book “reintroduced the concept of the common good into the national dialogue on faith and politics, as both a uniquely Catholic and American principle. A Nation for All helped to shape the national values and politics discussion during the 2008 election.”^[3]

Korzen is an occasional contributor to the progressive online publication Huffington Post.^[4] His political opinion pieces have also appeared in the National Catholic Reporter, the Washington Post's On Faith blog, and the pro-choice blog RH Reality Check.^[5][6][7]

Issues

Abortion and health care reform

While Catholics United "follow[s] church teachings to the letter" and thus, according to Korzen, teaches that abortion is wrong, Korzen believes that "one can pursue policies beyond criminalization of abortion that make that teaching present in the world," such as providing healthcare and economic assistance to families.^[8]

Korzen is a frequent media target of conservative groups and pro-life activists. In 2008, Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput accused Catholics United and allied groups of "provi[ing] an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn."^[9] In October 2010, Catholic League president William Donohue accused Catholics United of “taking a direct shot at the [U.S. Catholic] bishops,” and called on his members to contact Korzen via email.^[10] Korzen has also been targeted by conservative commentator Ann Coulter.^[11]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.catholics-united.org/?q=about
2. ^ http://www.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/hcm/summer06/class_notes/6.html
3. ^ http://portland.thephoenix.com/arts/68155-getting-religion-right-and-left/
4. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-korzen
5. ^ http://ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/more-election-analysis-chris-korzen
6. ^ http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/07/pro-life_movement_and_gop_politics_an_unholy_alliance.html
7. ^ http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/user/chris-korzen
8. ^ http://www.soundauthors.com/interview-with-chris-korzen-sound-authors-radio.htm
9. ^ http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=30135
10. ^ http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=2017
11. ^ http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Coulter-Jewish-reply/2007/10/17/id/321922

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Name	Korzen, Chris
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Short description	American political activist and author
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