Advanced Catholic Social Teaching (SJ)

Course Summary

This is an ADVANCED level course and should not be attempted without sufficient grounding in the basics of the Catholic faith and Catholic Social Teaching.

Designed to deepen the understanding of the basis for social justice by looking at specific encyclicals, Advanced Catholic Social Teaching is a course for those who have had some prior background. People taking this course should be familiar with the 7 tenets of Catholic social teaching presented by the US Catholic bishops. Catholic Social Teaching 1 and 2 are not pre-requisites if the student has other experiences leading to basic knowledge of Catholic social concerns. The ART process for working through a problem in a transformative, practical way is also presented.

This course is part of the Social Justice Certificate Program.

Successful completion of this course earns 2.5 CEU's.

General Course Objectives

• Expand understanding of the key tenets of Catholic Social Teaching
• Read key documents of the Church and critiques by top moral theologians in our country
• Be more aware of injustices in local communities and the world
• Learn a process which will help participants assess a need of their communities, reflect on the root causes and Church’s social teaching of that issue, and be involved with both social outreach (charity) and social transformation (justice) by taking action

Course Materials

• Required Book: Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church USCCB Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 1574556924: ISBN-13: 978-1574556926
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• Required Book: Rev. Kenneth R. Himes, OFM Modern Catholic Social Teaching (MCST) Georgetown University Press, 2005. ISBN: 1589010531; ISBN-13: 978-1589010536
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Course Structure and Highlights

• Week 1: Foundation of Catholic Social Teaching
  • Understand the foundations and background of Catholic Social Teaching through Scriptures, history, natural law, and ecclesiology
  • Learn about a process of Assessing Needs and Action, Reflection, and Transformation
• Week 2: Rerum novarum - Leo XIII and Commentary by Thomas Shannon
  • Share the Scriptural background to issues of work
  • Learn about the different issues concerning work, industry, and property
• Week 3: Pacem in terris - John XXIII and Commentary by Drew Christiansen, SJ
  • Understand the importance of human rights and peace
  • Share new concepts that John XXIII introduced regarding human rights, solidarity, international relations and peace
  • Integrate these concepts into one’s respective ministries
• Week 4: Familiaris consortio - John Paul II and Commentary by Lisa Sowle Cahill
  • Understand the Scriptural and historical context of Familiaris Consortio
  • Learn how to incorporate these ideas and teachings into your own family life as well as your ministry
• Week 5: Centesimus annus - John Paul II and Commentary by Daniel Finn and Sharing Your ART Project
  • Understand the background and concepts of Catholic social thought and the economy
  • Be more versed with various issues of CST
  • Implement your ART project within your community

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