Catholic Social Teaching, Economic Inequality, and American Society

The essay begins with an explanation of the underlying theological vision that supports Catholic social teaching's commitment to the centrality of the common good and the role of solidarity as both a virtue and a norm. The vision of humanity as one family and the church as a sacrament of unity...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religious ethics
Main Author: Himes, Kenneth R. 1950- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2019]
In: Journal of religious ethics
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B USA / Socioeconomic system / Economy / Inequality / Catholic social teaching
RelBib Classification:KBQ North America
KDB Roman Catholic Church
NCC Social ethics
NCE Business ethics
Further subjects:B Justice
B Catholic Social Teaching
B Common Good
B Participation
B economic inequality
B Democracy
B Equal Opportunity
B Solidarity
B relative equality
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:The essay begins with an explanation of the underlying theological vision that supports Catholic social teaching's commitment to the centrality of the common good and the role of solidarity as both a virtue and a norm. The vision of humanity as one family and the church as a sacrament of unity is the foundation for a communitarian ethic that prizes inclusion, participation, and relative equality in the quest for a truly just society. An array of social science studies is then employed to show that economic inequality "bleeds" into other realms of public life to undermine fundamental commitments of American society, namely, equal opportunity and political democracy. The essay concludes that an understanding of Catholic social teaching promotes a critical perspective that is deeply at odds with ongoing trends in the U.S. economy.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12268