Modern Catholic Social Teaching: Commentaries and Interpretations

With an equal emphasis on every word in the title - and with a distinctly American perspective - Himes and his distinguished associate editors and contributors have assembled the most thorough and authoritative assessment of modern Roman Catholic social teaching to date, likely to remain the touchstone volume for decades. This culmination of many years of effort by twenty stellar scholars has produced a reference work for anyone interested in understanding or studying the key documents that comprise the central corpus of Catholic social teaching. In addition to interrogations of the major documents, this volume provides an understanding of the biblical and philosophical foundations of Catholic social teaching, addresses the doctrinal issues that arise in such a context, and explores the social thought leading up to the "modern" era, generally accepted as beginning in 1891 with the publication of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum. Finally, there is a review of how Catholic social teaching has been received in the United States, and an informed look at the short-comings and questions that future generations must address. By any standard, Modern Catholic Social Teaching is a remarkable work - intellectually rigorous and deeply faithful, it provides accessible and thought-provoking insights into the heart of a belief tradition that every Catholic will find invaluable.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Kenneth R. Himes, OFM Part I: Foundations 1. The Bible and Catholic Social Teaching: Will This Engagement Lead to Marriage? John R. Donahue, SJ 2. Natural Law in Catholic Social Teaching Stephen J. Pope 3. The Ecclesiological Foundations of Modern Catholic Social Teaching Richard R. Gaillardetz 4. Early Modern Roman Catholic Social Thought, 1740-1890 Michael J. Schuck Part II: Commentaries 5. Rerum Novarum Thomas A. Shannon 6. Quadragesimo Anno Christine Firer Hinze 7. The Christmas Messages of Pius XII John P. Langan, SJ 8. Mater et magistra Marvin L. Mich 9. Pacem in terris Drew Christiansen, SJ 10. Dignitatis humanae Leslie Griffin 11. Gaudium et spes David Hollenbach, SJ 12. Populorum progressioAllan Figueroa Deck, SJ 13. Octogesima adveniensChristine E. Gudorf 14. Justicia in mundoKenneth R. Himes, OFM 15. Familiaris consortio Lisa Sowle Cahill 16. Laborem exercensPatricia A. Lamoureux 17. Sollicitudo rei socialisCharles E. Curran, Kenneth R. Himes, OFM, and Thomas A. Shannon18. Centesimus annusDaniel FinnPart III: Reception and Future of the Tradition 19. The Reception of Catholic Social and Economic Teaching in the United StatesCharles E. Curran 20. The Reception of Catholic Approaches to Peace and War in the United StatesTodd D. Whitmore 21. The Future of Catholic Social ThoughtJohn A. Coleman, SJContributorsIndex

About the Author :
Kenneth R. Himes, OFM, is an associate professor in the Department of Theology at Boston College, author of Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching, and coauthor (with Michael J. Himes) of Fullness of Faith: The Public Significance of Theology.

Review :
A superb contribution to Catholic social ethics and will undoubtedly serve as a basic text, providing a synthetic statement of the last century of the Catholic social tradition ... It has no peer. America An invaluable contribution ... Until now there has been no comprehensive text on the history, development and content of the social teaching of the Catholic Church. Catholic Library World This volume belongs on the bookshelf of anyone seriously interested in Catholic social teaching ... There is nothing else like this collection. It will endure. Journal of Church and State In assembling this extraordinarily ambitious reference work, [the editors] have done a great service to professors and students alike. Many Catholic academics intuit the potential for a rich dialogue between CST and their particular disciplines, but have been without concise, accurate analyses to help them make the connections. Modern Catholic Social Teaching will go a long way toward filling this gap ... a valuable contribution to the literature. Commonweal This is indeed a must-have book for anyone teaching or studying Catholic social ethics. Teaching Theology & Religion This is a truly excellent volume of wide-ranging scholarship that cannot be over-praised.Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education