
The Social Mission of the U.S. Catholic Church
A Theological Perspective
- 208 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
How does the Church function in the world? What is it called to do, and what does it actually do? Charles E. Curran explores the social mission of the U.S. Catholic Church from a theological perspective, analyzing and assessing four aspects: the importance of social mission, who carries it out, how it is carried out, and the roles that the Church and individual Catholics play in supporting these efforts.
In the early and mid-twentieth century the Catholic Church in the United States tended to focus its social mission on its own charities, hospitals, and schools. But the Second Vatican Council called the Church to a new understanding of social mission, deepening its involvement in and commitment to civic, social, and political life in the United States and abroad. Curran devotes particular attention to three issues that have reflected the Church's strong sense of social mission since that time: abortion, war and peace, and labor.
The Social Mission of the U.S. Catholic Church describes the proper role of bishops, institutions, and movements in the Church, but insists that the primary role belongs to all the baptized members of the Church as they live out the social mission in their daily lives.
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Information
Table of contents
- Contents
- Preface
- 1. Early Historical Context and Taking Care of Our Own
- 2. The Social Mission of the Church in the First Part of the Twentieth Century
- 3. The Understanding of the Church after Vatican II
- 4. Vatican II and a New Understanding of the Social Mission
- 5. PostāVatican II Development of Three Earlier Instances of the Social Mission
- 6. Three Significant Issues in the PostāVatican II Church
- 7. Roles of the Church in Supporting the Social Mission
- 8. U.S. Bishops and Abortion Law
- Conclusions: Looking Backward and Forward
- Index