Who is My Neighbor? The Franciscan Moral Imagination in the Age of Nationalism

This book invites readers to look beneath the surface of America’s political conflicts to a deeper question: Who is my neighbor? In an age marked by rising nationalism, cultural division, and institutional distrust, disagreements are often framed as clashes over policy or ideology. But as David B. Couturier argues, the deeper divide lies in how we see the world itself. Beneath every political position is a moral imagination—a way of perceiving others, assigning value, and defining who belongs. This book brings two powerful moral visions into conversation: the contemporary nationalist imagination, most visibly expressed in the MAGA movement, and the Franciscan moral imagination rooted in encounter, humility, and fraternity. While one begins with loss and the desire for restoration, the other begins with disruption—moments that unsettle our assumptions and open us to transformation. Drawing on theology, philosophy, and contemporary political analysis, Couturier shows how our deepest conflicts are not simply disagreements about what to do, but about what we see. At a time when public life is increasingly shaped by fear, fragmentation, and competing narratives of belonging, Who is my Neighbor offers a compelling alternative: a way of seeing that expands the circle of the neighbor and reimagines the possibility of a shared moral life. _________________________ “Who Is My Neighbor? reframes moral life not through ideology or tribal allegiance, but through relationships grounded in mercy, humility, and the common good. This timely work calls Christians, civic leaders, and all people of goodwill to imagine a society shaped less by borders and fear than by encounter, fraternity, and peace.” “David Couturier invites readers to move beyond fear and exclusion toward a society shaped by mercy, fraternity, and the common good.” by David B. Couturier, OFM Cap. 2026 ISBN: 978-1-57659-6036