The two volume authoritative guide to the social teaching of the Catholic Church. This first volume covers the period from Genesis to Centesimus Annus - Biblical times to the late nineteenth century. There has been a social teaching in the Judaeo-Christian tradition from the beginning, and it has continued to develop in the Christian tradition through the social witness and teaching of the Church through to the present time. Here is the Christian experience from Apostolic times, through the witness of the early Church Fathers and then Christendom in the Middle Ages, and the periods of absolutisms, imperialisms and revolutions in the early modern and modern world down to the end of the nineteenth century. Rodger Charles, S.J. has been researching, lecturing and writing in London, Oxford and San Francisco for over forty years.

The Principle of Subsidiarity in Catholic Social Thought: Implications for Social Justice and Civil Society in Nigeria provides a theoretical and practical framework for a just vision of society. It focuses on how support for individuals and social groups in Nigeria can foster the building of their communities through the practice of social justice. Social justice will ensure the building of trust across ethnic lines, challenge corruption, encourage accountability and servant leadership, protect minority tribes from larger ones, and promote grassroots self-help tribal, communal, religious, and non-governmental associations as agents of positive social change and development. These dynamics interact within a healthy federal structure that respects its constituent parts for the common good. This volume is recommended as a graduate text for courses in theology, religious education, and social philosophy, and for all interested in promoting the common good.

An overview of Catholic social thought, both official and non-official, particularly in recent decades, first published in 2006.

Entrepreneurship in the Catholic Tradition is a theological and historical exploration of the treatment of entrepreneurship, business, and commerce in the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Moving from Scriptural exegesis to modern papal social encyclicals, Anthony G. Percy shows how Catholic teaching had developed profound insights into the ultimate meaning of entrepreneurship and commerce and invested it with theological, philosophical, and economic meaning that surpasses many conventional religious and secular interpretations. Entrepreneurship is illustrated as being as much a potential contributor to all-round integral human flourishing as it is to economic growth and development. In this sense, Entrepreneurship in the Catholic Tradition challenges the stereotype of the Catholic Church having a negative view of economic liberty and the institutions that enhance its productivity. Instead we discover a tradition in which first millennium theologians, medieval scholastics, and modern Catholic thinkers have thought seriously and at length about the character of free enterprise and its moral and commercial significance.

Falling into Grace is a study of Andrew Greeley's fiction and the message behind his words, revealing many timeless political and theological ideas. Professor R.W. Carstens shares the findings of his deep exploration into Greeley's novels as evidence of a set of ancient values and key political ideas that are needed today more than ever. As a great storyteller, Greeley's message is significant-that grace sustains us, unites us, comforts us, and sometimes overwhelms us, but it is also evidence of our freedom. Carstens' careful examination into the deeper meaning behind the stories demonstrates that Greeley's characters and the world in which they live portray life as acts of faith, hope, and love, and prove that God is alive and well in the hearts of many in the world. As Carstens discusses Greeley's imagination and his political and theological concepts, he develops his own theories about how these ideas can be applied in today's world by creating freedom, limiting authority, and building communities where people are united by common goals. In the end, Carstens' study demonstrates that Greeley's fiction shows us a way to go home -- -to the images that appeal to the best in us, and therefore tell us what might be.

Late modern pluralistic societies are characterized by an infinitely multi-coloured individuality of their citizens and a wealth of associations and groups. This "plurality", which is difficult to grasp, is welcomed by many people as a source of freedom, but feared by others inside and by many observers outside as social chaos. However, this plurality is countered by a limited number of so-called "social systems", which are to a large extent characterized by organizational, institutional and normative structures and weight. In the theoretical, empirical, and historical contributions to this volume, theologians, economists and market practitioners discuss the many tensions between market economics, ethics and the Christian religion, thus adding to the fruitful and much needed dialogue between economics and theology. With Contributions by Jason Brennan, Michael J. Broyde, Ginny Seung Choi, Samuel Gregg, Peter Lampe, Manfred Lautenschläger, Frank J. Lechner, Klaus Leisinger, Katrin Gülden Le Maire, Piet Naudé, Paul Oslington, Stephen Pickard, William Schweiker, Virgil Henry Storr, Brent A. Strawn, Jürgen von Hagen, Michael Welker, Kaja Wieczorek, and John Witte. [Der Einfluss des Marktes auf Charakterbildung, ethische Erziehung und Kommunikation von Werten in spätmodernen pluralistischen Gesellschaften] Spätmoderne pluralistische Gesellschaften sind von einer unendlich vielfarbigen Individualität ihrer Bürger und einer Fülle von Zusammenschlüssen und Gruppierungen geprägt. Diese schwer zu fassende "Pluralität" wird von vielen Menschen als Quellgrund der Freiheit begrüßt, von manchen Innenstehenden und vielen Außenstehenden aber auch als soziales Chaos gefürchtet. Doch dieser Pluralität steht eine begrenzte Zahl von sogenannten "sozialen Systemen" gegenüber, die in hohem Maße organisatorisch, institutionell und normativ geprägt sind. In den theoretischen, empirischen und historischen Beiträgen dieses Bandes setzen sich Theologen, Wirtschaftswissenschaftler und Praktiker aus dem kaufmännischen Bereich mit dem Spannungsfeld zwischen Marktwirtschaft, Ethik und Theologie auseinander und tragen so zu dem dringend notwendigen Dialog zwischen Wirtschaft und Religion bei.

Gathers together some of the top moral theologians to recognize and honour the work of James P. Hanigan, and to present their own personal visions on the present state and future direction of fundamental moral theology.

The SAGE Encyclopedia of World Poverty, Second Edition addresses the persistence of poverty across the globe while updating and expanding the landmark work, Encyclopedia of World Poverty, originally published in 2006 prior to the economic calamities of 2008. For instance, while continued high rates of income inequality might be unsurprising in developing countries such as Mexico, the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported in May 2013 even countries with historically low levels of income inequality have experienced significant increases over the past decade, including Denmark, Sweden, and Germany. The U.N. and the World Bank also emphasize the persistent nature of the problem. It is not all bad news. In March 2013, the Guardian newspaper reported, "Some of the poorest people in the world are becoming significantly less poor, according to a groundbreaking academic study which has taken a new approach to measuring deprivation. The report, by Oxford University’s poverty and human development initiative, predicts that countries among the most impoverished in the world could see acute poverty eradicated within 20 years if they continue at present rates." On the other hand, the U.N. says environmental threats from climate change could push billions more into extreme poverty in coming decades. All of these points lead to the need for a revised, updated, and expanded edition of the Encyclopedia of World Poverty. Key Features: 775 evaluated and updated and 175 entirely new entries New Reader’s Guide categories Signed articles, with cross-references Further Readings will be accompanied by pedagogical elements Updated Chronology, Resource Guide, Glossary, and thorough new Index The SAGE Encyclopedia of World Poverty, Second Edition is a dependable source for students and researchers who are researching world poverty, making it a must-have reference for all academic libraries.

The seven themes of Catholic social teaching are presented with a challenge to today's faithful to put those principles to work at home, in the parish and throughout the community.

Introduces Catholic social teaching of the twenty-first century, and includes encyclicals of Benedict XVI.