Catholic Social Teaching and Movements

Marvin L. Krier Mich
475 pages
Twenty-Third, 1998
$29.95
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From the Publisher
Here is the perfect introductory book to Catholic social teaching. It covers not only the official documents and encyclicals but also gives a sense of the movements and people who embodies the struggle for social justice in the last 100 years. The Catholic tradition of social justice comes alive in the interplay between the actors and movements of the day and the church’s official teachings.

About the Author
Marvin L. Krier Mich, S.T.L., S.T.D., is Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at St. Bernard’s Institute in Rochester, New York. He has been actively in social justice ministry and education worldwide since 1971.

Review
There are numerous collections, summaries, and commentaries of the documents of Catholic social teaching, some of which even attempt a modest contextualization of the documents, pointing out the main historical trends of the time. However, none, to my knowledge, have attempted to make sense of Catholic social thought through a study of the political, social and ecclesial movements that gave rise to, or were generated by this body of teaching. In this volume, Marvin Mich admirably achieves this task.

Most of the book follows this pattern of outlining Catholic social thought within its social, political, economic and ecclesial context. My only criticism of this enormously helpful volume is its neglect of an extended treatment of Pope John Paul II’s Solicitudo Rei Socialis, and Centessimus Annus. Their absence is obvious to anyone familiar with the tradition, and I believe Mich missed an opportunity to follow through on his own outstanding precedent.

In spite of these omissions, the book stands out as a study that goes beyond merely answering the question of what is being said. Mich gets behind the teaching and tells us why certain things are said and in response to what circumstances. He also gives us details regarding the movements that were spawned by this venerable body of teaching. It is written in a lucid and engaging style that is appropriate for both scholarly and popular audiences. I use it for my undergraduate courses in Catholic social teaching, but it would be just as useful in a parish setting.

Dr. Thomas O’Brien is professor of Catholic social thought at De Paul University, Chicago, IL.

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