Readings Catholic Social Teaching

Readings in Catholic School Social Teaching: Selected Documents of the Universal Church, 1891-2011 is a curated collection of readings that form a short summary of the universal Catholic social teaching ranging between Pope Leo XIII's 1891 Rerum Novarum and Pope Benedicts XVI's 2011 pontificate. Organized in seven chapters according to general topics related to social justice, each section includes excerpts from notable Catholic documents, particularly papal encyclicals and documents of the Second Vatican Council. This material not only invites readers to delve deeper into the vast and growing treasury of such writings, it also inspires by encouraging thoughtful discussion for better understanding the contemporary value of the documents and serves as a tool for both prayerful reflection and academic inquiry. John T. Richardson, CM, was ordained as a priest in 1949 and has served as Dean of the Graduate School, Executive Vice President, and President of DePaul University. He holds a doctoral degree in theology from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and a master's degree in sociology from St. Louis University and has taught at seminaries in St. Louis and Kenya. He lives in Chicago, where he continues to serve as the Chancellor of DePaul University.