Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Be warned that this amazing work is not a page-turning history of this often-neglected and rich history of Catholic Social Teaching. It reads like a John Paul II encyclical, in both its circular, thorough, hypnotic approach to the many aspects of the teaching as well as the sense one gets that one is witnessing transcendent Truth. Overstatement? Perhaps. I admit to being a huge fan of JPII, but I'm a bigger fan of the One he served so faithfully. I have also had the ability to work full-time in the area of social justice in a faithfully Catholic organization and have often been dismayed by the misunderstandings that many have of Catholic Social Teaching. There seems to be a large group of non-Catholic or semi-Catholic people who do great work "in the trenches" serving as Christ has called us all to do, but often do so with a hostility toward the Church and her teachings. There also seems to be another group of Catholics who are faithful in general to the Church's sacraments and moral teachings, but don't take the Church's call to solidarity with the poor very seriously. Christ's admonitions to both types of people are easy to find in the Gospel, so there is little need to go into that here, but this volume gives a wake up call to all of us if we will hear it. If you are Catholic, then you are called to be with and serve those who need our help (Solidarity and Subsidiarity - two key principles). It is not for us to choose to let government do it (sorry, Socialists), to serve with bitter revolutionary intent (ditto, Marxists), or to simply insulate ourselves from the less fortunate, sick and needy with material wealth (sound familiar anyone?). If you are not Catholic, then this work still has a wealth of beautiful ideas that can be shared and can serve as a rallying point for those of different faith traditions. Whatever you do, it MUST be centered on Christ. This work makes that beautifully clear without singling out anyone. It would be a great subject for group study, or for anyone who would like to understand the depths of the Church's tradition. We have greatly missed the point of JPII's papacy and teachings if we only found in them our preconceived opinions or the expected dogmatic defensiveness. The message that we are called to be Gift to one another as Christ is for the Church is one that we should all hear, and it glows out of every page in this book. So, yeah, I guess I'd recommend it.

If one is seeking a blueprint, a framework, and a synthesis on putting the Catholic faith 'into practice', 'into action', one will find these qualities in this Compendium. Each sentence carries meaning and there are no unimportant words in this Compendium. It is concise, yet treats each topic with erudite precision. It is inspirational and hopeful! This Compendium makes one ponder deeply about the Catholic faith. It absolutely challenges both the mind and heart of the Catholic religious and lay faithful and exhorts the heart and mind to nobler causes outside of oneself and exhorts us to build a civilization of love, a culture of life. This Compendium, coupled with the previously published Catechism of the Catholic Church, will, in the judgement of history, be considered two classical works, that is, masterpieces. This is a book that all Catholics, at the least, should have on their shelves.

Anyone involved in teaching in a Catholic environment will have come across the question "What is the Church's view about...". This compendium gathers together material from a range of Vatican sources about the Church's teaching on social issues ranging from the dignity of the human person, through the family and work, to the relationship between nations. Handy to use for reference, this work also sets out clearly the values and principles on which the Church's social teaching is based. I've found this book extremely useful, and know that I will go on referring to it in the future.

The "concise but complete overview of the Church's social teaching" runs some 225 pages. The principles of the many facets of Catholic social work are specified "to sustain and foster the activity of Catholics in the social sector, especially the activity of the lay faithful." There's no guidance on the practicalities or pragmatics of realizing the principles; the "Compendium" is not a how-to. Parts of it are almost theological in tone, e. g., "God's Plan and the Mission of the Church." And other parts such as those dealing with the "way of love" or alluding to the "new heaven" and the "new earth" are visionary and inspirational. Half a dozen or more footnotes on every page point to historical or doctrinal bases for the principles; most of which are found in papal encyclicals. The family, peace, human rights, work, and politics are major sections. An "Analytical Index" of 150 pages takes one to any particular topic one is looking for. The format is each of the numerous social principles in italics followed by brief commentary in regular type. The "Compendium" is not only a comprehensive new edition gathering Catholic doctrine relating to social work. With recurring references to moral issues raised by advances in medicine, globalization, and other contemporary matters, it carries these principles into today's world and its central social developments.

Unique and valuable reference for anyone, Catholic or not, who would like a systematic concept of the theology of social doctrine. While less useful to non-Catholic readers due to its extensive use and references to church documents, its cross references to scripture and general theological/practical content is unique in my experience. Although the publisher's remarks give the reading level as young adult, I would rate it just a notch higher. It is very readable, but has an extensive vocabularly that at times involves words and comments more common to ecclesiastical documents than general reading.