Catholic Social Teaching: Learning & Living Justice

(© 2007) This text has been found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Catholic Social Teaching: Living and Learning Justice introduces the Church's rich body of social teaching that comes to us from the essential writings of the popes, highlighting the works from Pope Leo XIII onward. While exploring how societies work, an overarching theme of the text is a discussion of the foundational values that ought to govern a just society.

This text also provides the latest applications of the Church's social teaching by drawing on the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, and is organized around the U.S. Bishops' document, Sharing Catholic Social Teaching. The text highlights two important principles--the life and dignity of the human person and respect for life--as foundational to supporting concepts like the common good, the preferential option for the poor, solidarity among all the people, and stewardship of resources.

This second edition addresses morality related to current issues such as the war on terror, global warming, the rights of United States immigrants, and "aliens," and stem cell research.

Each chapter includes several special features:

• Panel activities that help the students foster total learning in hands (service), hearts (prayer), and mind (academic challenges).
• Review questions for each main section.
• Several Journal Assignments for deeper thought and reflection.
• Key vocabulary terms set off in margin panels.
• A Learn by Doing project for each chapter that provides a longer-term assignment.
• A Called to Prayer feature offering text from a prayer relevant to the chapter theme.

This text was written in accordance with the U.S. Bishops' Curriculum Framework and follows Elective C: Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society.