Cesar Chavez and the Common Sense of Nonviolence by
Cesar Chavez has long been heralded for his personal practice of nonviolent resistance in struggles against social, racial, and labor injustices. However, the works of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. have long overshadowed Chavez's contributions to the theory of nonviolence. José-Antonio Orosco seeks to elevate Chavez as an original thinker, providing an analysis of what Chavez called "the common sense of nonviolence." By engaging Chavez in dialogue with a variety of political theorists and philosophers, Orosco demonstrates how Chavez developed distinct ideas about nonviolent theory that are timely for dealing with today's social and political issues, including racism, sexism, immigration, globalization, and political violence.
The Long Loneliness: the autobiography of Dorothy Day by
This inspiring and fascinating memoir, subtitled, "The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist," The Long Loneliness is the late Dorothy Day's compelling autobiographical testament to her life of social activism and her spiritual pilgrimage. A founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and longtime associate of Peter Maurin, Dorothy Day was eulogized in the New York Times as, "a nonviolent social radical of luminous personality." The Long Loneliness recounts her remarkable journey from the Greenwich Village political and literary scene of the 1920s through her conversion to Catholicism and her lifelong struggle to help bring about "the kind of society where it is easier to be good."
The Political Spirituality of Cesar Chavez : crossing religious borders by
The Political Spirituality of Cesar Chavez: Crossing Religious Borders maps and challenges many of the mythologies that surround the late iconic labor leader. Focusing on Chavez's own writings, León argues that La Causa can be fruitfully understood as a quasi-religious movement based on Chavez's charismatic leadership, which he modeled after Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. Chavez recognized that spiritual prophecy, or political spirituality, was the key to disrupting centuries-old dehumanizing narratives that conflated religion with race. Chavez's body became emblematic for Chicano identity and enfleshed a living revolution. While there is much debate and truth-seeking around how he is remembered, through investigating the leader's construction of his own public memory, the author probes the meaning of the discrepancies. By refocusing Chavez's life and beliefs into three broad movements--mythology, prophecy, and religion--León brings us a moral and spiritual agent to match the political leader.
Can I Get a Witness? : thirteen peacemakers, community builders, and agitators for faith and justice by
How do we transform American Culture through our religious convictions? Discover here the compelling stories of thirteen pioneers for social justice who engaged in peaceful protest and gave voice to the marginalized, working courageously out of their religious convictions to transform American culture. Their prophetic witness still speaks today. Comprising a variety of voices--Catholic and Protestant, gay and straight, men and women of different racial backgrounds--these activist witnesses represent the best of the church's peacemakers, community builders, and inside agitators. Written by select authors, Can I Get a Witness? showcases vibrant storytelling and research-enriched narrative to bring these significant "peculiar people" to life. CONTRIBUTORS & SUBJECTS: Daniel P. Rhodes on Cesar Chavez Donyelle McCray on Howard Thurman Grace Y. Kao on Yuri Kochiyama Peter Slade on Howard Kester Nichole M. Flores on Ella Baker Carlene Bauer on Dorothy Day Heather A. Warren on John A. Ryan Becca Stevens on William Stringfellow W. Ralph Eubanks on Mahalia Jackson Susan M. Glisson and Charles H. Tucker on Lucy Randolph Mason Soong-Chan Rah on Richard Twiss David Dark on Daniel Berrigan M. Therese Lysaught on Mary Stella Simpson
Catholic Social Teaching: learning and living justice by
Written in accord with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and rooted in the sound catechetical principles of the National Catechetical Directory, these texts present a well-defined curriculum model that stresses clear objectives, careful organization, and creative methods and evaluation procedures to check the attainment of goals. Very flexible, allowing teachers to select materials to highlight and stress, each text can be implemented on various grade levels for a quarter, a semester, or a full year depending on the length and frequency of class meetings.Catholic Social Teaching: Learning and Living Justice supports the American bishops call for a renewed commitment to integrate and to share the riches of the Church's social teaching in Catholic education and formation at every level.Catholic Social Teaching: Learning and Living Justice is intended for high school students, primarily eleventh and twelfth graders. It summarizes seven key themes of Catholic social teaching as highlighted by the American bishops in Sharing Catholic Social Teaching.The text covers these other important principles: The Principle of the Dignity of the Human Person; The Principle of Respect for Human Life; The Principle of the Call to Family, Community, and Participation; The Principle of Rights and Responsibilities; The Principle of the Common Good; The Principle of the Preferential Option and Love for the Poor and Vulnerable; The Principle of the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; The Principle of Solidarity; The Principle of Stewardship: Care for God's Creation.The text also treats the principle of equality that holds that, despite our different talents, we are all essentially equalas God's children made in his image and likeness and the principle of subsidiarity that deals with the responsibilities and limits of government.Catholic Social Teaching: Learning and Living Justice hopes to expose students to these essential principles of Catholic social justice so they know what the virtue of justice entails, can articulate how these principles promote justice, and reflect on the connection between their Christian faith, worship, prayer, and justice, and can begin to see how individual and societal responses to injustices can effect change and make the world a better place.
Catholic Social Thought: the documentary heritage by
This compendium of church teaching offers complete access to more than 100 years of official statements of the Catholic Church on social issues.
The Catholic Worker Movement: intellectual and spiritual origins by
This book is essential reading for understanding the legacy behind the Catholic Worker Movement. The founders of the movement, Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin met during the Great Depression in 1932. Their collaboration sparked something in the Church that has been both an inspiration and a reproach to American Catholicism. Dorothy Day is already a cultural icon. Once maligned, she is now being considered for sainthood. From a bohemian circle that included Eugene O'Neil to her controversial labor politics to the founding of the Catholic Worker Movement, she lived out a civil rights pacifism with a spirituality that took radical message of the Gospel to heart. Peter Maurin has been less celebrated but was equally important to the movement that embraced and uplifted the poor among us. Dorothy Day said he was, "a genius, a saint, an agitator, a writer, a lecturer, a poor man and a shabby tramp." Mark and Louise Zwick's thorough research into the Catholic Worker Movement reveals who influenced Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day and how the influence materialized into much more than good ideas. Dostoevsky, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Francis of Assisi, Therese of Lisieux, Jacques and Raissa Maritain and many others contributed to fire in the minds of two people that sought to "blow the dynamite of the Church" in 20th-century America. This fascinating and detailed work will be meaningful to readers interested in American history, social justice, religion and public life. It will also appeal to Catholics wishing to live the Gospel with lives of action, contemplation, and prayer.
Go to the Worker by
OC Go to the workerOCOOCothat was the central message of the Catholic social-action movement which flourished in the United States from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s. And, according to a book by that title recently published by Marquette University Press, the message is as fresh and powerful today as it was in the Great Depression to which this movement responded. OC Go to the WorkerOCO: AmericaOCOs Labor Apostles, by historian Kimball Baker, tells the movementOCOs story by profiling 10 of the movementOCOs leaders, and traces the origins of the movement. These include Catholic social teachings (OC Go to the workerOCO was initially a directive in several papal encyclicals, or letters); Dorothy Day and her Catholic Worker movement; the ideas of social, industrial and political democracy; and worldwide social-justice stirrings within the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. All these influences came together, the book says, in the 1930s, a time when unrestrained capitalism had brought the U.S. economy to its knees. The result was many Catholic priests and laypeople forming a national worker-justice movement based upon its membersOCO belief that helping workers organize and bargain collectively was just as much of a spiritual calling as feeding the hungry. The movement operated ecumenically. It cooperated with worker advocates from all faiths and helped workers from all backgrounds. It fought for worker justice side by side with organized labor, especially the industrial unions which came on in the mid-1930s, and together these advocates and unions gained passage of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. Within a decade, the proportion of American workers organized went from less than one tenth to about a third. Underlying the Catholic social-action movementOCOs central message, Baker says, was the conviction that every economic activity is subject to moral law. It was on this basis, for example, that Monsignor George Higgins, one of the bookOCOs chapter subjects, criticized the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 as OC unfair and unworkable.OCO Since its enactment, the proportion of U.S. workers organized is back to about one tenth. OC In the current economic crisis, American workers are becoming more and more aware that they need to organize to be strong, OCO Baker contends. OC Hopefully OCyGo to the WorkerOCO will give them and their advocates an encouraging boost in dealing with the Great Recession, in which the adverse affects of unrestrained capitalism are once again on full display.OCO"
Handbook of Catholic social teaching : a guide for Christians in the world today by
"An introductory summary to Catholic social teaching on topics like morality, economics, politics, and society, presented in question and answer format. Chapters and special topics are written by varied contributors; each quotes copiously from papal and other Church documents. Includes bibliography and index"-- Provided by publisher.
Living Justice Catholic social teaching in action by
Now in its third edition, Living Justice is an ideal introduction to Catholic social teaching. Thomas Massaro introduces readers to the history and basics of Catholic social teaching while highlighting new developments and helping readers understand how to apply this teaching to life today. Living Justice leads readers step-by-step through the building blocks of Catholic social thought, including its central themes, sources, and methods. Along the way readers encounter great heroes of social change and prophets of peace and justice. The third edition features significant updates throughout, including extensive coverage of Pope Francis and his two major social teaching documents: Evangelii Gaudium on gospel-grounded justice and Laudato Si' on the environment. It also looks at the Pope's contributions to peace and justice efforts around the world, including his advocacy for diplomacy, simplicity of lifestyle, and healthy family life. The third edition includes two new case studies in the dynamics of globalization--the global migration crisis and the scourge of human trafficking. It also contains expanded sections on globalization, the environment, and issues of peace and war. With its accessible and reader-friendly style, the third edition of Living Justice includes new discussion questions, revised topics for further study, and an updated list of resources that make the book an excellent resource for students or parishes.
The Vision of Catholic Social Thought: the virtue of solidarity and the praxis of human rights by
Building upon the historical framework of the development of Catholic social thought, drawing deeply from the papal encyclical tradition and the theological and ethical developments of Vatican II, the author forwards a constructive vision of virtue and social practice, applying this critical question of human rights on the international stage.
