Enacting Catholic Social Tradition: The Deep Practice of Human Dignity

Enacting Catholic Social Tradition: The Deep Practice of Human Dignity

Provides a needed emphasis on the fact that CST stems not from arbitrary laws laid down by Church leaders, but rather from moral guidance directly inspired by Scripture, especially the command to love Christ and the neighbor, even if doing so is extremely difficult in real-life situations. Through the use of multiple examples encountered both in parishes and in the secular world (e.g., racism, vegetarianism, taxation), the book gives helpful counsel on being mindful of particularity and contextual concerns. "A rich discussion of how we can move from the principles of Catholic Social Tradition to lives concretely shaped by this tradition. Sedmak helps us see how to live out Catholic Social Thought in challenging concrete situations and how to shed light from this tradition on challenges that are genuinely new. An innovative reflection on how to translate principles into action."-- David Hollenbach, SJ, Pedro Arrupe Distinguished Professor, Georgetown University "A rich discussion of how we can move from the principles of Catholic Social Tradition to lives concretely shaped by this tradition. Sedmak helps us see how to live out Catholic Social Thought in challenging concrete situations and how to shed light from this tradition on challenges that are genuinely new. An innovative reflection on how to translate principles into action." --David Hollenbach, SJ, Pedro Arrupe Distinguished Professor, Georgetown University "A refreshingly profound dive into the Christ-centered spirituality of Catholic Social Tradition, anchored in the deep practice of human dignity. Engaging in its raw concreteness, Sedmak's imaginative approach to Catholic Social Tradition provides an indispensable guide for translating, enacting, and applying its Gospel-based principles and therapeutic properties to complex and unsettling realities of our times." Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar "Pope Francis's pontificate drew new attention to Catholic social tradition, thought, and teaching. In light of the testimony offered by modern-day prophets like Oscar Romero and Dorothy Day, Sedmak's book provides essential and timely clarifications and criteria for the application of CST in the world and in the Church of today, with crucial attention to the pastoral and practical dimensions." --Massimo Faggioli, author, The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis RELIGION / Christianity / Catholic RELIGION / Christian Theology / Ethics RELIGION / Christian Living / Social Issues Cover design: Diane Mastrogiulio US$35.00 ISBN: 9781626984691 Clemens Sedmak is professor of social ethics and director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the University of Notre Dame. His recent books include A Church of the Poor: Pope Francis and the Transformation of Orthodoxy (Orbis); The Capacity to Be Displaced: Resilience, Mission, and Inner Strength (Brill); and The Practice of Human Development and Dignity (with Paolo Carozza, University of Notre Dame Press, 2020). Introduction Enacting and Applying Catholic Social Tradition This book is a reflection on how to apply and enact Catholic Social Tradition. The question itself can be considered dangerous. Let me explain. There is a story about a failed development project in Haiti. A wellmeaning person procured an expensive water filter and donated it to an orphanage. The orphanage staff was properly instructed on the use of the filter, and the benefactor was willing to send them new cartridges once the filter went through the first twenty thousand gallons. However, because the filter was so expensive, it was locked in a closet, and rarely, if at all, taken out and used. In addition to the lack of benefit to the orphans’ health, this situation was also a missed opportunity to work together with the local community, which could have benefited from the filter in a way that would have strengthened relationships between the orphanage and the community.