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.
Customer Reviews:
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Modern Catholic Social Teaching: Content and Method Converge:
Modern Catholic Social Teaching was written, as the chief editor Ken Himes notes, in a uniquely collaborative effort that, to my mind, epitomizes the best of Catholic values, stressing individual dignity, the value of tradition and the importance of communal, collaborative work. Each is well researched, well written and carefully argues its position. The essays are an excellent review of current Catholic thinking on a range of issues. My own area of interest and expertise is war and nonviolence; the... more info
A collection of essays by respected experts in Catholic social ethics:
Modern Catholic Social Teaching: Commentaries & Interpretations is a collection of essays by respected experts in Catholic social ethics. An intensely scholarly text covering such topics as natural law in Catholic social teachings, early modern Roman Catholic social thought in 1740-1890, numerous commentaries on documents written by Popes such as "Populorum Progressio" (On the Development of Peoples) and "Gaudium et spes" (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World), and much more, Modern... more info
Excellent Resource for Students!:
I am taking a gradute course in Catholic Social Teaching. I used this book in a research paper on the papal encyclical "Quadragesimo Anno." It is a wonderful resource that I plan to use again and again. It is very readable for the layman who just wants to understand our Catholic Social tradition better. I love this book!
