Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church [Paperback]

Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (Author)

Book Description

Only available for sale in the United States. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, a unique, unprecedented document in the history of the Church, serves as a tool to inspire and guide the faithful, who are faced with moral and pastoral challenges daily. It is divided into five sections: an introduction, three parts, and a conclusion entitled "For a Civilization of Love." The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church is a must-have resource for leaders of social ministry at the diocesan and parish level as well as those in religious education, schools, and youth and young adult ministry. (20050601)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book's 250 pages of carefully selected quotations from ancient and modern documents are wonderfully indexed by sources (25 pp.) and by vigorous topics and inviting subtopics (165 pp.). For achieving peace, there are so many connections, either in place or waiting to be made." (Rev. Philip C. Fischer, S.J. Review for Religious )

"The new Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, released in March in the United States, makes it unmistakably clear that the Church proposes something much more profound --Rev. Philip C. Fischer, S.J.

From the Back Cover

This Compendium is a unique, unprecedented document in the history of the Church. It serves as a tool to inspire and guide the faithful who are faced with moral and pastoral challenges daily. Parts include -God's plan of love for humanity -The family, the vital cell of society -Social doctrine and ecclesial action -For a civilazation of love -Index of references -Analytical index

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: USCCB Communications (March 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574556924
• ISBN-13: 978-1574556926
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Truthful, Necessary Teaching, August 31, 2005

By 

S. C. Phelan "AZ Catholic" (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (Paperback)

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.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching, March 24, 2005

By 

Glenn S. Leach "Glenn" (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (Paperback)

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.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Short of a Masterpiece!, August 17, 2005

By 

John F. Griffin (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (Paperback)

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.