EAM 511 Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel of Work
This course integrates the principles of business and ethics to study how Catholic Social Teaching (CST), founded on the Incarnation, and therefore the Theology of the Body, proposes an integration of life for all, including the pastor and lay parish leader. Pope Francis quotes Benedict XVI to write that business "demands first of all `a transcendent vision of the person,' because `without the perspective of eternal life, human progress in this world is denied breathing-space.' It also calls for decisions, mechanisms and processes directed to a better distribution of wealth, the creation of sources of employment and an integral promotion of the poor which goes beyond a simple welfare mentality." (Pope Francis, Message to World Economic Forum, 2014) This papal principle of the priority of the person is even more at stake in the life of Church institutions. CST rejects socialism and defends private property, and the rights of business, workers, and people to expect justice in their relationships with each other. CST offers a harmonious and integrated account of life and work, of owners and managers to employees and consumers, and of consumption to human flourishing. This course offers a vision of the vibrancy and potential for human flourishing that comes from recognizing the integration of work, business, ownership, and cooperation, especially within Church institutions and organizations.