RT Article
T1 Catholic Social Teaching, Economic Inequality, and American Society
JF Journal of religious ethics
VO 47
IS 2
SP 283
OP 310
A1 Himes, Kenneth R. 1950-
LA English
PB Wiley-Blackwell
YR 2019
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1670212769
AB 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.
K1 Catholic Social Teaching
K1 Common Good
K1 Democracy
K1 economic inequality
K1 Equal Opportunity
K1 Justice
K1 Participation
K1 relative equality
K1 Solidarity
DO 10.1111/jore.12268