The Enduring Relevance of Catholic Social Teaching

Abstract

The Enduring Relevance of Catholic Social Teaching Mark Bell (bio) Anna Rowlands, Towards a Politics of Communion: Catholic Social Teaching in Dark Times (T&T Clark 2022), xvi + 315 pages. Anthony M Annett, Cathonomics: How Catholic Tradition Can Create a More Just Economy (Georgetown University Press 2022), xix + 315 pages. Catholic Social Teaching (CST) in the modern era is most frequently traced from the late nineteenth century. It is often associated with a series of papal encyclicals and other major teaching documents that, in diverse ways, apply the beliefs, values and principles of Christian faith to issues that arise in our collective life in society, such as work, the environment, migration or international relations. The teaching of the Catholic Church is accompanied and influenced by a wider milieu of theological reflection on social ethics, as well as the insights and expertise of those involved in social action, such as Catholic-inspired civil society organisations. Memorably, Pope Paul VI captured this interplay of ideas and practice when he described CST as offering 'principles of reflection, norms of judgment and directives for action'.1 Notwithstanding the extensive analysis and critique of CST that has accumulated over time, it continues to generate fresh engagement. In part, this flows from its enduring ethical orientations that continue to prove relevant amidst shifting social realities. It can also be argued that Pope Francis has done much to advance CST. He has contributed to its documentary heritage, perhaps most notably through his treatment of the natural environment in his encyclical Laudato Si'. More broadly, he has forged better relations with those of other faiths and those of no faith at all. To some extent, this creates renewed space for CST to be admitted to public deliberation, notwithstanding the secularism of many Western democracies. Set against this backdrop, Anna Rowlands and Anthony Annett provide welcome and timely contributions. As discussed below, Anna Rowlands has authored a magnificently reflective academic analysis of this subject. In contrast, Anthony Annett's engaging book is aimed at an applied audience in the world of policymakers, social activists and interested individuals. In their diverse ways, both books enrich our understanding of CST. [End Page 394] Towards a Politics of Communion: Catholic Social Teaching in Dark Times There are already a considerable number of books that aim to provide an overview of CST. On the one hand, there are commentaries that seek to provide detailed analysis of the principal Church texts. On the other hand, there are books that explore the evolution, methods, and key themes of CST. Given this rather crowded field, Anna Rowlands' book is remarkably original and insightful. It draws upon an impressively broad range of sources, both historical and contemporary. These are woven together with carefully crafted language that displays a meticulous quality of scholarship. Time and again, certain sentences reverberated with me long after reading and prompted genuine reflection. Appropriately, this book commences with an explanation of how modern CST has emerged, which introduces the reader to the principal sources and actors. Thereafter, it is founded upon a thorough investigation of the central principles found within CST: human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity. Anna Rowlands situates her discussion of each of these principles within general philosophical and theological reflection on their meaning. She does not confine herself to their presentation in well-known sources of 'official' CST. Rather she often looks further afield to consider how these principles were understood at earlier points in Church history, as well as engaging with secular perspectives on the same concepts. This gives the reader a deep perspective on how we understand these difficult and contested ideas. Her explanation of each of these principles is rich and illuminating, yet carefully connected through the theme of 'communion', discussed further below. The intellectual breadth of this book reaches beyond Catholic reflection and engages thoroughly with overlapping secular reason. This approach is illustrated in her treatment of the common good. She begins by acknowledging the ways in which the language of the common good persists in contemporary political discourse. Unusually, this concept attracts interest amongst movements and commentators that are found on both the left and the right. She concludes that 'whilst the idea...