Stephen V. Kobasa
Encyclopedia
Stephen Vincent Kobasa is a Connecticut teacher, journalist, and Christian political activist. He focuses his work “in Colombia solidarity, towards abolition of the death penalty and in opposition to nuclear weapons.” He was “instrumental in reconstituting the state’s death penalty
abolition movement” in 2000.
The son of a well-known Seymour, Connecticut
teacher, Kobasa graduated from Seymour High School
in 1965, after which he attended Fairfield University
. He holds masters’ degrees from Yale Divinity School
and the University of Chicago
. Kobasa taught English at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, Connecticut
, during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1999 he began teaching English at Kolbe Cathedral High School
in Bridgeport, Connecticut
. He gained national attention when, in October 2005, he was fired from Kolbe for refusing to display the American flag, the presentation of which he viewed as a “contradiction” to the symbol of the Christian crucifix
. When his dismissal was reported in the Boston Globe and other major newspapers, his cause was taken up by a number of political and religious publications. To theologian William T. Cavanaugh, Kobasa's action was a protest against “idolatry.” Cavanaugh went on to write that
Kobasa appealed unsuccessfully to Church authorities, including William E. Lori
, the Bishop of the Bridgeport Diocese
, but has ruled out filing a civil lawsuit. On February 14, 2006, he testified before the Connecticut State Senate’s Labor and Public Employees Committee in favor of a law which would require employers to notify their employees that they are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The bill was signed into law on April 21 by Governor Jodi Rell
.
Since 2006 he has been a columnist for the New Haven Advocate. In that capacity he was awarded first prize in Arts and Entertainment writing in a regional, non-daily newspaper by the Society of Professional Journalists
. In March 2009, he began a series of “object lessons”—brief reflections on art around New Haven—for the New Haven Independent. Twenty-two have been published as of September 2009.
Kobasa, whose “seemingly average existence has been punctuated by a dozen arrests and short stints in jail,”, has participated in a range of nonviolent antiwar and human-rights protests since the late 1960s. These demonstrations—and Kobasa's philosophy—are consistent with postmodern Catholic peace traditions
, especially liberation theology
and peaceful resistance; he became a conscientious objector
in 1967. In his hometown of New Haven, Connecticut
, he is regarded a “regular at anti-war actions around town,” appearing regularly at rallies there. Among his recent activities, Kobasa was the “main facilitator” of an Iraq war memorial established in late 2007 in New Haven's Broadway Triangle, and was a speaker at a 2009 demonstration protesting racial profiling in East Haven, Connecticut
organized by Unidad Latina En Acción.,
Capital punishment in Connecticut
Capital punishment in Connecticut currently exists as an available sanction for a criminal defendant upon conviction for the commission of a capital offense. Connecticut, along with New Hampshire, are the only two New England states that maintain a death penalty. Since the 1976 United States...
abolition movement” in 2000.
The son of a well-known Seymour, Connecticut
Seymour, Connecticut
Seymour is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named for Governor Thomas H. Seymour. The population was 15,454 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
teacher, Kobasa graduated from Seymour High School
Seymour High School (Connecticut)
Seymour High School is a secondary school in Seymour, Connecticut.-About Seymour High School:Seymour High School serves students from grades 9-12. Seymour High School served students from Seymour. This is the only high school in Seymour.-History:...
in 1965, after which he attended Fairfield University
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
. He holds masters’ degrees from Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. Kobasa taught English at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain, Connecticut
New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....
, during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1999 he began teaching English at Kolbe Cathedral High School
Kolbe Cathedral High School
Kolbe Cathedral High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport.-Background:...
in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. He gained national attention when, in October 2005, he was fired from Kolbe for refusing to display the American flag, the presentation of which he viewed as a “contradiction” to the symbol of the Christian crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
. When his dismissal was reported in the Boston Globe and other major newspapers, his cause was taken up by a number of political and religious publications. To theologian William T. Cavanaugh, Kobasa's action was a protest against “idolatry.” Cavanaugh went on to write that
One final irony of Stephen Kobasa’s firing is that it took place at a Catholic school named after St. Maximilian Kolbe. Kolbe was a Franciscan priest who gave himself up to be starved to death at AuschwitzAuschwitz concentration campConcentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
in place of a man who begged to be spared for the sake of his children. Saints like Kolbe keep us alert to the imperative to put loyalty to God over loyalty to the state.
Kobasa appealed unsuccessfully to Church authorities, including William E. Lori
William E. Lori
William E. Lori is the fourth Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Before succeeding Edward Egan in 2001 he was an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington....
, the Bishop of the Bridgeport Diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport is located in the south western part of the state of Connecticut, and its boundaries are the same as that of Fairfield County, Connecticut. There are 87 parishes in the diocese. Its cathedral is St. Augustine in Bridgeport.The current bishop is The Most...
, but has ruled out filing a civil lawsuit. On February 14, 2006, he testified before the Connecticut State Senate’s Labor and Public Employees Committee in favor of a law which would require employers to notify their employees that they are not eligible for unemployment benefits. The bill was signed into law on April 21 by Governor Jodi Rell
Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
.
Since 2006 he has been a columnist for the New Haven Advocate. In that capacity he was awarded first prize in Arts and Entertainment writing in a regional, non-daily newspaper by the Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists , formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is one of the oldest organizations representing journalists in the United States. It was established in April 1909 at DePauw University, and its charter was designed by William Meharry Glenn. The ten founding members of...
. In March 2009, he began a series of “object lessons”—brief reflections on art around New Haven—for the New Haven Independent. Twenty-two have been published as of September 2009.
Kobasa, whose “seemingly average existence has been punctuated by a dozen arrests and short stints in jail,”, has participated in a range of nonviolent antiwar and human-rights protests since the late 1960s. These demonstrations—and Kobasa's philosophy—are consistent with postmodern Catholic peace traditions
Catholic Peace Traditions
The following article will trace the ideas and practice of peace in the Catholic Church from its biblical and classical origins into the 21st century. This Catholic tradition, because of its long history and breadth of geographical and cultural diversity, encompasses many strains and influences of...
, especially liberation theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
and peaceful resistance; he became a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
in 1967. In his hometown of New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, he is regarded a “regular at anti-war actions around town,” appearing regularly at rallies there. Among his recent activities, Kobasa was the “main facilitator” of an Iraq war memorial established in late 2007 in New Haven's Broadway Triangle, and was a speaker at a 2009 demonstration protesting racial profiling in East Haven, Connecticut
East Haven, Connecticut
East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,189. The town is just 3 minutes from downtown New Haven...
organized by Unidad Latina En Acción.,
Some of Kobasa’s Essays
- “Allegiance to Conscience.” The Catholic Worker (2006).
- “Can art change the world?” Yale University Art Gallery (2007)
- “A Lesson for Martha Stewart—And for Us All” Peacework (2004)
- “More Lies from a Machine: Revisiting the Enola Gay” The Nuclear Resister (2004)
External links
- The New Haven Advocate
- Kolbe Cathedral High School
- The New Haven Independent’s “Hometown Heroes of 2005”
- Kobasa and conscience: contains Kobasa's statement about his termination from Kolbe Cathedral High School, as well as related media reports and letters.
- A portrait of Kobasa painted by Nathan Lewis