The Teachings of Modern Roman Catholicism - by John Witte Jr & Frank Alexander (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Teachings of Modern Roman Catholicism on Law, Politics, and Human Nature examines how modern Catholic thinkers have answered the most pressing political, legal, and ethical questions of our time. It discusses the enduring teachings of important Catholic intellectuals of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Leading contemporary scholars analyze these thinkers' views on the nature and purpose of law and authority, the limits of rule and obedience, the care of the needy and innocent, the ethics of war and violence, and the separation of church and state, among other themes. A diverse and powerful portrait of Catholic legal and political thought, this volume underscores the various ways Catholic intellectuals have shaped modern debates over the family, the state, religion, and society. The book focuses on the writings of Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903); Jacques Maritain (1882-1973); John Courtney Murray (1904-1967); Pope John XXIII (1881-1963); Gustavo Gutièrrez (b. 1928); Dorothy Day (1897-1980); and Pope John Paul II (1920-2005).

Review Quotes

An indispensable volume for theologians, philosophers, jurists, and political theorists.-- "First Things"

A useful resource and a powerful inspiration.--Rebecca S. Chopp, President, Colgate University; Former President, American Academy of Religion

Crisp, informative, even-handed, and, above all, interesting. It is a joy to learn what riches there are in modern times in the major Christian traditions.--Robert N. Bellah, University of California, Berkeley

Rarely have the riches of modern theology and theological anthropology been so incisively analyzed for their insights into the fundamentals of our modern political condition.--Jean Bethke Elshtain, University of Chicago

About the Author

John Witte Jr. is the Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. He has published 120 articles and 20 books, including Law and Protestantism: The Legal Teachings of the Lutheran Reformation and The Reformation of Rights: Law, Religion, and Human Rights in Early Modern Calvinism. Frank S. Alexander is Professor of Law and Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. He has published a dozen volumes, including The Weightier Matters of the Law: Essays on Law and Religion.