The Heart of Catholic Social Teaching: Its Origin and Contemporary Significance - Paperback

by David Matzko McCarthy (Author)

This accessible introduction covers the complete history and contemporary contexts of the church's involvement in Catholic social tradition, giving distinctive attention to the Bible, liturgy, the thought of Augustine and Aquinas, and recent theological developments.

Bringing together veteran teachers of Catholic Social Teaching who have worked together on the content, this book is designed to set social questions within the Catholic tradition and contemporary life. End-of-chapter application sections address practical concerns, such as racism in the church, charity, consumerism, and talking with neighbors and coworkers about moral issues. Discussion questions, case studies, excerpts of church documents, and suggestions for further reading enhance the book's usefulness. It will work well for students of theology and ethics, particularly Catholics but also Protestants who want to know more about the Catholic social tradition.

Back Jacket

This collection brings the venerable tradition of Catholic social justice in line with a newer generation's concerns about community, personal commitment, and liturgy. Social action and policy reform are integrally and dynamically related to the nature of the Christian life and the necessity of conversion. The book will be a superb teaching resource for students who want to link theology and tradition with the contemporary search for a meaningful way of life that includes justice and the common good.--Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College

"This collection arises from the collaborative habits of a real community of teacher-scholars, philosophers, and theologians who live in the same place and talk to each other about the general education program in which they all work. Wise, timely, rigorous, and accessible to students, The Heart of Catholic Social Teaching is an ideal choice for an undergraduate course."--William L. Portier, University of Dayton

"The Heart of Catholic Social Teaching moves beyond principles to the lifeblood of Catholic thought--scripture, Eucharist, Augustine, Aquinas, and more. The book will be a useful resource for those who teach the Catholic social tradition."--M. Therese Lysaught, Marquette University

"Designing a penetrating and comprehensive introduction to Catholic social teaching presents no small challenge given the myriad of possibilities for structuring the material. David McCarthy and the contributors of The Heart of Catholic Social Teaching have done us an enormous service by providing a text that masterfully interweaves all the key time periods, figures, sources, documents, themes, and issues in Catholic social teaching. The book manages to present all of these different groupings as a unified, organically integrated introductory text. Just as important, the book presents the heart of Catholic social teaching in a manner whereby both its intellectual rigor and its practicality are accessible, such that the reader is not only enlightened but also empowered."--William C. Mattison III, Catholic University of America

Author Biography

David Matzko McCarthy (PhD, Duke University) teaches theology at Mount Saint Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He is the author of Gathered for the Journey: Moral Theology in Catholic Perspective and Sex and Love in the Home: A Theology of the Household, and has written for publications such as New Blackfriars, Christian Century, and Modern Theology.