Röpke-Wojtyła Fellowship

The Röpke-Wojtyła Fellowship is a program designed for Catholic undergraduate seniors from colleges and universities across the United States. The purpose of the program is to educate young Catholic women and men in the study of the market order and Catholic Social Thought. Throughout the year, Fellows discuss questions of social philosophy, particularly as they relate to business, political economy, political philosophy, and the social doctrine of the Church. 

The Röpke-Wojtyła Fellowship invites young Catholics to explore important questions concerning the nature of a good society, the tension between pluralism and a unitary social order, the civilizing aspects of commerce, and the relationship between markets and communities. The Fellowship also encourages participants to engage critically with intellectual traditions and authors they might not otherwise encounter during their studies. Topics may include the Church Fathers on trade, medieval debates on commerce and the economy, the origins of property, the influence of labor value theory on social movements, critiques of political economy, the post-liberal debate, Wilhelm Röpke’s reflections on the social framework of the market order, and Karol Wojtyła’s philosophy of the human person and human action. Readings and discussion topics vary from year to year. 

Röpke-Wojtyła Fellowships are awarded to outstanding senior level undergraduate students majoring in a variety of academic disciplines. Fellows participate in four colloquia throughout the year and have the opportunity to engage with exceptional scholars and practitioners who challenge, inspire, and enrich their intellectual formation.