Catholic Social Teaching

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING:
A WEB-BASED READING COURSE

Gary N. Mc Closkey, O.S.A.

Last Updated: Wednesday, November 30, 2005

INTRODUCTION
RELATED TEXTS FOR READINGS
RELATED INTERNET SITES
SECTION A: Rerum Novarum and the beginnings of the Contemporary Age of Catholic Social Teaching.
SECTION B: Americans and Rerum Novarum: From the Knights of Labor through the 1920s.
SECTION C: Quadragesimo Anno.
SECTION D: Pope John XXIII: Church as Social Teacher and Peace Advocate.
1. What do you already KNOW in general about Catholic Social Teaching.
2. What do you WANT to learn in general about Catholic Social Teaching.
3. Before beginning your study, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED TEXTS FOR READINGS
1. Henriot, P.J., DeBerri, E.P. & Schultheis, M.J. (1992). Catholic social teaching: Our best kept secret. Centenary Edition. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
2. Krier Mich, M.L. (1998). Catholic social teaching and movements. Mystic, CT: Twenty-third Publications.
3. NETWORK Education Program. (1998). Shaping a new world: A challenge for the 21st century. Sixth Edition. Washington, DC: NETWORK.
1. RELATED INTERNET SITES
1. General Access to Papal Encyclicals
SECTION A: Rerum Novarum and the beginnings of the Contemporary Age of Catholic Social Teaching. This section focuses on the context out of which Rerum Novarum arose. Issues around Worker Rights, role of the State, role of the Church, care of the poor and right to private property are introduced.
1. What do you already KNOW about Rerum Novarum and the initial social teaching of the Church about Worker Rights, role of the State, role of the Church, care of the poor and right to private property.
2. What do you WANT to learn about Rerum Novarum and the initial social teaching of the Church about Worker Rights, role of the State, role of the Church, care of the poor and right to private property.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich: pp. 5-29.
  Henriot, et al., pp.33-35.
  NETWORK, p. 5. (Rerum Novarum)
  Rerum Novarum (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How does the legacy of Rerum Novarum continue to influence Catholic social thought and action? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about Rerum Novarum and the initial social teaching of the Church about Worker Rights, role of the State, role of the Church, care of the poor and right to private property.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION B: Americans and Rerum Novarum: From the Knights of Labor through the 1920s. Issues in this section concern the relation of the Church to the early labor movement as well as the US hierarchy's attitudes about Social Reconstruction in the wake of World War I.
1. What do you already KNOW about the relation of the Church to the early labor movement as well as the US hierarchy's attitudes about Social Reconstruction in the wake of World War I.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the relation of the Church to the early labor movement as well as the US hierarchy's attitudes about Social Reconstruction in the wake of World War I.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READING:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 30-60.
  1919 Program of Social Reconstruction (U.S. Bishops' Statement) (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How does the tensions among U.S. bishops of the late 19th and early 20th centuries continue to influence Catholic social thought and action? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the relation of the Church to the early labor movement as well as the US hierarchy's attitudes about Social Reconstruction in the wake of World War I.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION C: Quadragesimo Anno. Issues in this section concern the Church's teaching about Social Charity, Social Justice, Subsidiarity, Socialism, Communism and Capitalism in the face of Economic Depression.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's teaching about Social Charity, Social Justice, Subsidiarity, Socialism, Communism and Capitalism in the face of Economic Depression.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's teaching about Social Charity, Social Justice, Subsidiarity, Socialism, Communism and Capitalism in the face of Economic Depression.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 61-89.
  Henriot, et al. pp. 36-40.
  NETWORK, p.5. (Quadragesimo Anno)
  Quadragesimo Anno (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How does the vision of Dom Virgil Michel reflect the values of Quadragesimo Anno? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's teaching about Social Charity, Social Justice, Subsidiarity, Socialism, Communism and Capitalism in the face of Economic Depression.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION D: Pope John XXIII: Church as Social Teacher and Peace Advocate. Issues in this section concern the Church's social reawakening in the 1960s, teaching about Social Progress, Freedom, International Cooperation and Disarmament.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's social reawakening in the 1960s, teaching about Social Progress, Freedom, International Cooperation and Disarmament.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's social reawakening in the 1960s, teaching about Social Progress, Freedom, International Cooperation and Disarmament.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 90-118.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 41-50.
  NETWORK, p.6.
  Mater et Magistra (Document Access)
  Pacem in Terris (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How does Pope John XXIII's Social Encyclicals Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris reflect a new day for Catholic Social Teaching? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's social reawakening in the 1960s, teaching about Social Progress, Freedom, International Cooperation and Disarmament.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION E: Vatican II - Gaudium et Spes. Issues in this section concern the Church's role in the modern world, human dignity, culture, and economic development and the relation of these teachings to racism.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's role in the modern world, human dignity, culture, and economic development and the relation of these teachings to racism.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's role in the modern world, human dignity, culture, and economic development and the relation of these teachings to racism.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 119-153.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 51-57 and 102-108.
  NETWORK, p. 7 (Gaudium et Spes) and pp. 12-14.
  Gaudium et Spes (Document Access Part 1) (Document Access Part 2)
  Brothers and Sisters to Us (U.S. Bishops' Statement) (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How is the experience of African Americans a real test of the reality of the message of Gaudium et Spes? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's role in the modern world, human dignity, culture, and economic development and the relation of these teachings to racism.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION F: Populorum Progressio - Issues in this section concern the Church's role in development, nonviolent social change, and revolution and the relation of these teachings to contemporary labor organizing.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's role in development, nonviolent social change, and revolution and the relation of these teachings to contemporary labor organizing.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's role in development, nonviolent social change, and revolution and the relation of these teachings to contemporary labor organizing.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 154-176.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 58-62.
  NETWORK, p. 7. (Populorum Progressio)
  Populorum Progressio (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How does the experience of Cesar Chavez reflect the reality of the message of Progressio Populorum? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's role in development, nonviolent social change, and revolution and the relation of these teachings to contemporary labor organizing.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION G: A Call to Action - Issues in this section concern the Church's role in social analysis, political participation, advocacy, action and third world perspectives.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's role in social analysis, political participation, advocacy, action and engaging third world perspectives.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's role in social analysis, political participation, advocacy, action and engaging third world perspectives.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 177-209.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 63-66.
  NETWORK, p. 8.
  Octogesima Adveniens (Document Access)
5. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
6. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How is the booklet, Shaping a new world: A challenge for the 21st century, which you are using an appropriate advocacy document in response to Pope Paul VI's "Call to Action"? Send your essay as an attachment here.
7. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's role in social analysis, political participation, advocacy, action and engaging third world perspectives.
8. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION H: Option for the Poor - Issues in this section concern the Church's role in developing a social spirituality, liberation theology, and theologizing from a third world perspective.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's role in developing a social spirituality, liberation theology, and theologizing from a third world perspective.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's role in developing a social spirituality, liberation theology, and theologizing from a third world perspective.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 239-274.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 67-74, 89-93, 116-119 and 130-150.
  NETWORK, p. 9 (Evangelii Nuntiandi)
  Justitia in Mundo (Document Access)
  Evangelii Nuntiandi (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How is the concept "Option for the Poor" include rather than exclude people? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's role in developing a social spirituality, liberation theology, and theologizing from a third world perspective.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION I: Challenge of Peace - Issues in this section concern the Church's role in fostering world peace, nonviolence, and relations among nations.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's role in fostering world peace, nonviolence, and relations among nations.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's role in fostering world peace, nonviolence, and relations among nations.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 275-312.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 109-115.
  The Challenge of Peace U.S. Bishops' Statement (Document Access)
5. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
6. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How do you understand the relation of the Christian traditions of pacifism and just war as giving grounds for a practical nonviolence? Send your essay as an attachment here.
7. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's role in fostering world peace, nonviolence, and relations among nations.
8. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION J: Economic Justice for All - Issues in this section concern the Church's role in fostering economic justice, worldly spirituality, spirituality of work, the debt crisis and globalization.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's role in fostering economic justice, worldly spirituality, spirituality of work, the debt crisis and globalization.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's role in fostering economic justice, worldly spirituality, spirituality of work, the debt crisis and globalization.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 313-346.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 69-73 and 90-99.
  NETWORK, p. 9 (Redemptor Hominis and Laborem Exercens), p. 10, p. 11 (Centesimus Annus) and pp. 15-19.
  Redemptor Hominis (Document Access)
  Laborem Exercens (Document Access)
  Centesimus Annus (Document Access)
  Economic Justice for All (U.S. Bishops' Statement) (Document Access)
  A Decade After Economic Justice for All (U.S. Bishops' Statement) (Document Access)
5. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
6. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How can we say that the Christian understanding of human dignity is reflected in the fundamental moral criterion for economic decisions is what they do for people who are poor, what they do to people who are poor and what they enable people who are poor to do for themselves? Send your essay as an attachment here.
7. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's role in fostering economic justice, worldly spirituality, spirituality of work, the debt crisis and globalization.
8. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION K: Voices of Women and the Structures of Sin - Issues in this section concern the Church's involvement of the voices of women in development of the Church's social agenda, structures of sin, response to ideology, class struggle and gender issues.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's involvement of the voices of women in development of the Church's social agenda, structures of sin, response to ideology, class struggle and gender issues.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's involvement of the voices of women in development of the Church's social agenda, structures of sin, response to ideology, class struggle and gender issues.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 347-384.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 80-88.
  NETWORK, p. 11 (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis) and pp. 24-27.
  Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (Document Access)
  Mulieris Dignitatem (Document Access)
  Letter to Women (1995) (John Paul II) (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How can we say that the Christian concept of "Structures of Sin" can help us in understanding feminist and womanist critiques of Catholic Social Teaching? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's involvement of the voices of women in development of the Church's social agenda, structures of sin, response to ideology, class struggle and gender issues.
4. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION L: Consistent Ethic of Life and "Gospel of Life" - Issues in this section concern the Church's consistent ethic of life's connecting together of abortion, poverty, euthanasia, war and violence, and capital punishment as social issues.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's consistent ethic of life's connecting together of abortion, poverty, euthanasia, war and violence, and capital punishment as social issues.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's consistent ethic of life's connecting together of abortion, poverty, euthanasia, war and violence, and capital punishment as social issues.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 210-238.
  Evangelium Vitae (Document Access)
  Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics (U.S. Bishops' Statement) (Document Access)
5. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
6. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How can we say that Cardinal Bernardin's image of a "Seamless Garment" and Pope John Paul II's image of a "Culture of Death" aid us in seeing connections across the life issues? Send your essay as an attachment here.
7. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's consistent ethic of life's connecting together of abortion, poverty, euthanasia, war and violence, and capital punishment as social issues.
8. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION M: An Emerging Earth Ethic - Issues in this section concern the Church's developing ethic in relation to the environment, ecology and environmental racism.
1. What do you already KNOW about the Church's developing ethic in relation to the environment, ecology and environmental racism.
2. What do you WANT to learn about the Church's developing ethic in relation to the environment, ecology and environmental racism.
3. Before you do the readings, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
4. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 347-384.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 74-82.
  NETWORK, p. 11 (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis) and pp. 20-23.
  Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (Document Access)
  On the Ecological Crisis (John Paul II) (Document Access)
5. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
6. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in an essay on the subject - How can we say that the image of a "Web of Life" can aid us in seeing connections between environmental ethics and other social ethics? Send your essay as an attachment here.
7. In relation to what you wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about the Church's developing ethic in relation to the environment, ecology and environmental racism.
8. Before you go on to the next section, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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SECTION N: Announcing and Denouncing: Preaching Connections Across Issues - This section is an opportunity for the learner to make connections among the elements of this study. This integration is to set a platform for future preaching on these issues - announcing justice and denouncing injustice .

Parts a to c of this section were taken care of at the beginning of this study in the INTRODUCTION. Review them before proceeding to construct your concluding CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY.
1. RELATED READINGS:
  
  Krier Mich, pp. 1-4.
  Henriot, et al., pp. 3-25.
  NETWORK, pp. 2-4.
  Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions (Reflections of the U.S. Catholic Bishops) (Document Access)
1. Before you construct your essay,do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
2. CONSTRUCTIVE ESSAY: Integrate what you knew and what you have learned in this study in an essay on the subject - How can my preaching announce justice and denounce injustice in ways that "invite" rather than "disinvite" people to act justly? Send your essay as an attachment here.
3. In relation to what you identified in the INTRODUCTION that you knew and wanted to learn, what did you LEARN about Catholic Social Teaching.
4. In the FUTURE what areas would you like to explore and/or read about in Catholic Social Teaching. Identify them and send them here
5. Before you end this study, do you have ISSUES OR CONCERNS that need response? If so send them here.
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