Catholic Social Activism

Sharon Erickson Nepstad

Sharon Erickson Nepstad

Catholic Social Activism

New York University Press | 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18574/9781479830862

Overview
Contents

About this book

A history of Catholic social thought
Many Americans assume that the Catholic Church is inherently conservative, based on its stances on abortion, contraception, and divorce. Yet there is a longstanding tradition of progressive Catholic movements in the United States that have addressed a variety of issues from labor, war, immigration, and environmental protection, to human rights, women’s rights, exploitive development practices, and bellicose foreign policies. These Catholic social movements have helped to shift the Church from an institution that had historically supported incumbent governments and political elites to a Church that has increasingly sided with the vulnerable and oppressed.

This book provides a concise history of progressively oriented Catholic Social Thought, which conveys the Catholic Church’s position on a variety of social justice concerns. Sharon Erickson Nepstad introduces key papal encyclicals and other church documents, showing how lay Catholics in the United States have put these ideas into practice through a creative and sometimes provocative political engagement. Nepstad also explores how these progressive movements have pressured the religious hierarchy to respond to pressing social issues, such as women’s ordination, conscription, and the morality of nuclear deterrence policies.

Catholic Social Activism vividly depicts how these progressive movements have helped to shape the religious landscape of the United States, and how they have provoked controversy and debate among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Author information

NepstadSharon Erickson:

Sharon Erickson Nepstad is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of New Mexico, where she has also served as Director of Religious Studies. She is the author of Convictions of the Soul: Religion, Culture, and Agency in the Central American Solidarity Movement; Religion and War Resistance in the Plowshares Movement; Nonviolent Revolutions: Civil Resistance in the Late Twentieth Century; and Nonviolent Struggle: Theories, Dynamics, and Strategies.

Reviews

A thorough and complex history of recent Catholic activism in the United States . … The rigor and breadth of Nepstad’s research and analysis makes this an excellent book for academic courses. Yet the page-turning readability also makes it valuable for everyday Catholics who look to deepen their understanding of Catholic social teaching and how our church has enacted it.

Frontmatter Free access PDF PDF	i
Contents Free access PDF PDF	vii
Preface Free access PDF PDF	ix
Introduction Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	1
1. Dignity and Just Treatment of Workers Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	15
2. Peace, Nonviolence, and Disarmament Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	47
3. Equality for Women and Catholic Feminism Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	74
4. Liberation Theology and the Central America Solidarity Movement Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	95
5. Compassion for Immigrants and the Sanctuary Movements Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	127
6. Earth Ethics and American Catholic Environmentalism Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	146
Conclusion: Contributions of Progressive US Catholic Movements Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	163
Acknowledgments Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	173
Notes Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	175
References Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	187
Index Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	201
About the Author Access restricted Content is available PDF PDF	207

Catholic Social Activism

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