A reinterpretation of justice in Catholic social thought as a lived experience of communal life
Catholic social thought is a living tradition. Insights into justice that are centuries old still apply, but they need to be reexamined in light of historical developments such as democracy, global markets, feminism, the preferential option for the poor, environmental challenges, and the shift of Christianity's growth to the Global South.
Rethinking Justice in Catholic Social Thought invites the reader to engage insights on justice from a range of cultural, religious, and intellectual traditions—from African, Hindu, and Buddhist to Scholastic, liberal, Latin American, and Scriptural. The result is an understanding of justice as a lived experience of communal life that entails freedom and dignity for all and equitable access to the common goods of the community.
This volume will help the reader develop a conception of justice that is coherent, comprehensive, faithful to the tradition, responsive to the best contemporary insights, suitable for confronting pressing injustices, and clear enough to be accessible to nonexperts.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Sources for Re-thinking Justice
1 African Understandings of Justice, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, S.J.
2 Hindu and Buddhist Understandings of Justice, George Kodithottam, S.J.
3 Justice in Latin American Theology, Maria Inês de Castro Millen
4 Scripture as a Resource for Re-thinking Justice in Catholic Social Thought, Anathea Portier-Young
5 Thomas Aquinas' Theory of Justice, Jean Porter
6 How Liberalism Can Contribute to Re-thinking Justice in Catholic Social Thought, Francis Schussler Fiorenza
7 Justice in Catholic Social Teaching, Lisa Sowle Cahill
8 Experience, Social Location, and Justice, Agnes M. Brazal
9 Justice as a Characteristic of Social Structures, Daniel K. Finn
Part II: Three Constructive Accounts of Justice
10 What Justice Might Be Understood to Entail in Catholic Social Thought Today, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator S.J.
11 Justice: A Three-Dimensional Account from Catholic Social Teaching, David Cloutier
12 Justice as a Virtue in Catholic Social Thought, Lisa Sowle Cahill
Part III: A Rough Consensus
13 Toward a Definition of Justice in Catholic Social Thought, Daniel K. Finn
About the Contributors
Reviews
"Amid widespread disagreement on what justice means, well-intentioned justice seekers risk wasted efforts or worse: reproducing old patterns of dominance. The stellar array of global experts gathered here enlighten readers through a dialogue rooted in the particularities of local experience and the depths of historical tradition. I will learn from and teach this volume for years to come."—Kate Ward, associate professor, Marquette University and author of Wealth, Virtue and Moral Luck: Christian Ethics in an Age of Inequality
"In this visionary collection, leading international Catholic ethicists illuminate the meaning(s) of justice anew. Its integration of theory with praxis and classical with contemporary sources yields valuable conclusions that probe both the dispositions justice is animated by and the cultures and structures it fosters."—Kristin E. Heyer, Joseph Chair in Theology, Boston College
"Dan Finn and his extraordinary set of collaborators boldly articulate a definition of justice rooted in Catholic social teaching that avoids an exclusive focus on Western thought and attends to justice not only as an individual feature but also a characteristic of social structures. The book is a tremendous accomplishment."—William C. Mattison III, University of Notre Dame
About the Author
Daniel K. Finn is Professor Emeritus of Economics and the Theology at St. John's University and the College of Saint Benedict. He has written several books, including Consumer Ethics in a Global Economy: How Buying Here Causes Injustice There (GUP 2019).
