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"On the Eighth Day: A Catholic Theology of Sport" is a book that explores the intersection of religion and sports from a Catholic perspective. The authors discuss the historical transformations and insights of the Catholic tradition on sport, the spirit of play, the sacramental perspective in viewing sport, and the ethical issues related to sport. The book aims to provide a contemporary theological framework for understanding the meaning of sport, and while it focuses on Catholicism, it does not distinguish itself significantly from other Christian approaches. The authors also touch on topics such as gender, injury, and the paschal mystery in relation to sports. Overall, the book offers interesting and thought-provoking insights for both theology and the philosophy of sport. [Extracted from the article]

This essay inquires whether digitally transformed work can be virtuous and under what conditions. It eschews technological determinism in both utopian and dystopian versions, opting for the premise of free human agency. This work is distinctive in adopting an actor-centric and explicitly ethical analysis based on neo-Aristotelian, Catholic social teaching (CST), and MacIntyrean teachings on the virtues. Beginning with an analysis of digital disruption, it identifies the most salient human advantages vis-à-vis technology in digitally transformed work and provides philosophical anthropological explanations for each. It also looks into external, organizational characteristics on both the macro and the micro levels of digitally transformed work, underscoring their ambivalence (efficiency and profits vs. exclusion and exploitation, flexibility and freedom vs. standardization and dependency) and the need to mitigate their polarizing effects for the sake of shared flourishing. The article presents standards for virtuous work according to neo-Aristotelian, CST, and MacIntyrean frames and applies them to digitally transformed work, giving rise to five fundamental principles. These basic guidelines indicate, on one hand, actions to be avoided and, on the other, actions to be pursued, together with their rationales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of liberal market economies, propagated by neoliberal free market thought, has created a vacant responsibility for public interests in the market order of society. This development has been critiqued by Catholic social teaching (CST), forcefully arguing that governments and businesses should be directed to the common good. In this debate, no attention has yet been given to the Reformational tradition and its principle of sphere sovereignty, which provides guidelines on the responsibilities of governments and companies for the public interest of society. This article analyzes the differences and similarities between CST and the Reformational philosophy in their critiques of the neoliberal free market perspective of Hayek. We apply the three perspectives to the case of orphan drugs in the pharmaceutical industry and show that CST and the Reformational philosophy offer valuable insights in correction to Hayek's views on the responsibilities of governments and companies for public health interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the contributions of Pope Francis toward human-centered AI and digital innovation. It draws from his numerous dialogues with experts in technology, medicine, science, ethics, law, philosophy, and theology. The papal engagements are based on the rich patrimony of Catholic Social Teaching that is being updated in the wake of the digital revolutions. The paper explores the Magisterium of Francis with the question of technological progress and inherent dangers for human society. It underscores some fundamental anthropological and ethical themes that the Pontiff considered necessary in making emerging technologies beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E. F. Schumacher's Small is Beautiful is one of the most succinct elaborations of Catholic social teaching (CST) and 'distributism' – construed as an alternative to both capitalism and socialism. Extending the logic of Polanyi, both market and state, and their right- and left-wing ideological expressions, are shown to be contending forms of collectivism – in that both aggregate the agency of disembedded 'billiard ball' individuals. Schumacher's socio-economic vision is rooted in Livelihood and is orthogonal to both left and right, creating an opportunity for an alternative to modernity involving patterns of embedded production, consumption and reproduction (family, household and place-bound community). 'Smallness' and 'localness' speak to forms of embedded social capital that are 'sticky', viscous and relational, more ascriptive and less fluid. But for precisely this reason, the political agenda implicit in Schumacher's vision is not only post-liberal, but explicitly both covenantal and Christian. It requires the ontology of sovereign, self-actualizing individuals to be reconnected and constrained through a transcendent relationality with God. Small is Beautiful is shown to be diametrically opposed to the eco-modernist, gnostic and sometimes even transhumanist worldview of global environmentalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that the Catholic Church in Nigeria needs to move beyond interreligious dialogue that dwells more on Councils' interactions and discourses to develop a dialogical ethical framework that engages religious multiplicity in a more active capacity. Although Nigeria's religious diversity necessitates interreligious dialogue, that alone is insufficient for constructing concrete ethics of dialogue. The article thus argued for an ethical framework tagged one family, many flavours. The theological sense of the proposal is rooted in Catholic social teachings but open to engagement with other religious traditions for mutual respect and social justice. The religious scope of the article is on Roman Catholicism and the Nigeria Muslim Ummah. The article addressed related ethical challenges confronting Nigeria's interreligious landscape as a diverse religious community. Primary and secondary sources were used in gathering information for the article; thus, scriptural texts and traditions in Islam, as well as sources in Roman Catholicism, were theologically engaged. The suggested model acknowledges the importance of retaining one's religious identity while also recognising the importance of interreligious dialogue and the right of the religious other in ethical matters. The article is envisioned to promote conversations about translating dialogical frameworks into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on countering the view that Christianity is a simplistic and ideologically confined worldview, arguing that such a perception overlooks the complex interactions between Christianity, science, and historical failures of religious institutions. Topics include the responses to criticisms of Christianity, the role of Christian thought in the development of modern science.

This paper seeks to reimagine ethical leverage in technology for peaceful synodality (the term peaceful synodality is coined to mean a synodality that welcomes participation and inclusion of people from different backgrounds and views without compromising the truth and respecting their dignity and journeying together) through the lens of the bioethics of synodality with technology. The concept of this paper is that technology can be leveraged ethically to promote peaceful synodality in the Catholic Church and that such an approach to technology is rooted in reimagining a bioethics of synodality that emphasize the need for journeying hand in hand with the speed at which technological advancement moves in order to enhance ethical decision-making processes. Ethics has moved at a different pace than technology, especially in matters involving human life. Ethics has been viewed as problematic in technology, especially where science wants to be neutral, but rethinking ethics as a companion of emerging technologies will be helpful in directing the ethical uptake of technology. To argue this thesis, the paper will employ a review of relevant literature while presenting the theological and ethical perspectives of synodality. By and large, an interdisciplinary approach will be employed where various disciplines play a key role. Such methodology advances the theme of reimagining Catholic ethics by offering a fresh perspective on the ethical implications of technology in the context of synodality. By emphasizing the importance of journeying together through enhanced ethical guidelines for proper decision-making and by exploring how technology can respect human rights and dignity among other values, this paper contributes to a broader conversation about how Catholic ethics can be reimagined in light of technological developments. Ultimately, this paper argues that a bioethics of synodality with technology can offer a vision for technology that is grounded in Catholic social teaching that promotes universally accepted human dignity and the common good. A cross-cutting method will also be used, given that ethics has basically constant principles, yet technology keeps on changing. Reimagining ethics means studying the advancement brought about by biotechnology and seeing to what degree human beings are affected in their basic rights and the risks versus the benefits brought about by the same. The assumption is that decisions made regarding the ethics of various technologies will be at par with the rate at which new technologies emerge and are employed. What is of vital importance is that ethics can have the power to journey together with technology, not as an adversary but in synodality. Reimagining ethics means being ever alert in the developing technologies that serve humanity so that in consultation with various experts, the best practices can be embraced within the ethical guidelines for the common good. The outcome of this research is that reimagining Catholic ethics involves listening to the needs of humanity and how technology is bringing solutions to them. Participating in bioethical debates, training on bioethics and listening to experts in various fields will enable a critical, analytical and pneumatological discernment of how ethical decisions on frontier technologies can benefit non-humans and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the decline of religion and community in contemporary societies, focusing on Poland. It explores the concept of a post-secular age and the role of rituals in maintaining community. The author argues that secularization can lead to self-centeredness and narcissism in consumer societies. The article also discusses the impact of globalization on culture and identity. It highlights the connection between religion and Polish society, particularly through the influence of Pope John Paul II. The author emphasizes the role of John Paul II in fostering community and solidarity, and suggests that his legacy can inspire people in challenging times. [Extracted from the article]

What is agroecology's moral vision, and what are the larger metaphysical, even theological, implications of it? Even though agroecology as a field now gathers collaborators from across the natural and social sciences, as well as members of farming communities and international movements, there remains relatively little explicit and sustained reflection upon this question. My main contention is that expanding agroecology's dialogue of wisdoms (diálogo de saberes) to include theological traditions can address this lacuna. To show how, I explore the contribution of one particular theological tradition—Catholic social teaching—and how its account of integral ecology enables agroecologists to deepen their engagement with fundamental questions raised by their own normative commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Catholic tradition. It acknowledges the rapid growth of AI and the challenges it poses for theology and religion, which are slower to adapt. The article introduces the publication of the first volume of the Theological Investigations of Artificial Intelligence Book Series, written by the AI Research Group of the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education. The book explores ethical and anthropological aspects of AI and its implications for the Christian and Catholic intellectual tradition. It discusses secular AI ethics, the limitations of AI consciousness, and the engagement of Catholic social teaching with AI. The article emphasizes the importance of encountering AI and invites scholars and people of faith to consider the ethical problems and imagine a more just and hopeful future. [Extracted from the article]

It is the contention of this paper that ethics of work ought to be anthropological, and artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, which is the focus of work today, should be anthropological, that is, human-centered. This paper discusses the philosophical and theological implications of the development of AI research on the intrinsic nature of work and the nature of the human person. AI research and the implications of its development and advancement, being a relatively new phenomenon, have not been comprehensively interrogated in the social and ethical teachings of the Catholic Church. This paper, therefore, proposes a path for this interrogation by expounding a discourse which is believed to be epistemically helpful in the developing discourse of AI in the ethical and social teachings of the Church. The advancement in the research on AI is not only redefining the meaning of work, but, even more so, it is questioning the metaphysical notion of the human person and the theological notion of work as an intrinsic part in the selfhood and dignity of the human person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The claims to universality in the thought of Jacques Maritain and Catholic social teaching present a problem: they tend not to perceive their own entanglement in modernity and its hidden underside of colonial oppression. First, I explore this problem by drawing upon the scholarship of Catholic social ethicist Mary E. Hobgood to underscore the internal contradictions between three different social models in Catholic social teaching: feudal organic, liberal orthodox, and radical liberationist. I situate Maritain's work within these social models. Second, I utilize Sylvia Wynter's appropriation of Frantz Fanon's sociogenetic approach as a way of understanding how people and institutions are malformed by dominant modern epistemologies. I argue that the Roman Catholic Church lacks a coherent and credible praxis of transformation. Finally, I suggest three starting points to initiate shifts toward a decolonial ethic of Catholic social teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing the collection of articles regarding Jacques Maritain and his relevance for challenges to democracy today, this article describes the complexity and some of the main themes of his intellectual journey. Maritain played a major role in the development of Catholic social teaching on democracy, and can provide moral and spiritual grounding for a renewal of democracy now. He articulates the moral value of democracy as the form of politics that best allows Christians to live out love of neighbor and enemy in concrete ways, while still making an appropriate distinction between the spiritual and temporal spheres. Articles in this volume examine the implications of the friendship between Maritain and Saul Alinsky, William Cavanaugh's interpretation of Maritain's influence (with a response from Cavanaugh himself), and reflections upon how we can critically appropriate the thought of Maritain in the contemporary context, fifty years after his death. The introduction concludes with words Maritain addressed to US Catholics in 1939. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae is the property of Uniwerystet Kardynala Stefana Wyznskiege w Warzawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pope Francis's statement about NATO expansion provoking Russia to invade Ukraine raises the question about whether it is legitimate to support NATO generally and its expansion after 1989 in particular. This article argues that the right of nations to self-determination and legitimate defense and the ethic of solidarity as understood in the Catholic social tradition can justify NATO's existence and enlargement. The author concludes that not only was NATO enlargement after 1989 justified, but it should also be open to Ukraine and other countries in the region in accordance with these tenets of Catholic social teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will explicate ways in which Aboriginal Australian economy can inform, augment, and vindicate Catholic social teaching and related scholarship on work, the use of technology, and leisure. Collaterally, Aboriginal Australian economy gives an example of what could happen if key parts of Catholic social teaching were to be implemented concretely. That is, we can argue that Aboriginal economy gives an indication of what a society would be like if it adopted these parts of Catholic social teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A relevant Religious Education needs to confront the life-threatening global issues humanity faces today. The present study investigates how Catholic Life Formation (CLF) through religious instruction may predict environmental attitudes among students in Cebu City, Philippines. This study analyzes how the following variables may influence Christian environmentalism: students' reception of CLF inputs, Catholic Social Teachings (CST) perceptions, and students' beliefs and environmental responses (STB) from a sample of 491 Grade 12 SH students of a private university in Cebu, Philippines. This descriptive quantitative survey used ordinal logistic regression to test our model. We adopted a two-step procedure to gather data: First, an open-ended interview was used to tease the themes and viewpoints of students. Second, incorporating the qualitative output from the interviews, a survey was conducted using a researcher-made self-report paired with the Christian Environmentalism Scale (CES) to describe student attitudes toward the environment. The findings are discussed with respect to Religious Education and CLF environmental advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The African continent has made enormous social, political and economic strides in the last three decades. However, close to ten out of fifty-five countries in Africa continue to face protracted and intermittent conflicts, posing regional and global threats to peace. This article analyses different conflicts in Africa with the aim of understanding the causes, trends and impacts on peace and stability. The discussions focus on a sample of six African countries experiencing conflicts, which include South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. The conflicts in these countries have mainly been driven by bad governance, political and economic marginalization of targeted communities, ethnicization of politics and proliferation of small arms and light weapons. There have been diverse efforts to address these conflicts without much success. Catholic Social Teaching provides a framework of principles that could be crucial in attempts for sustainable peace, particularly respect for human dignity, safeguarding the common good and accountable governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Sohrab Ahmari's book "Tyranny, Inc." which critiques free-market libertarianism and its effects on American society. Ahmari argues that private power, particularly on Wall Street, has led to inequalities and coercion in the workplace and marketplace. He proposes solutions such as socially managed capitalism, democratic socialism, and strengthening labor unions. The article also mentions Ahmari's use of Roman Catholic social teachings and references to economic historians Karl Polanyi and Joseph Schumpeter. It explores the role of social justice parties in Western Europe and their efforts to regulate the market economy for social and economic equality, while also highlighting the importance of preserving the family unit and addressing the role of women in the economy. The author concludes that a strong cultural and familial foundation is necessary for a successful society. [Extracted from the article]

Catholic social thought and teaching is sometimes conceptualised using an historical or principles-based approach. This paper proposes an alternative framing, construing Catholic social teaching (CST) as a multi-layered phenomenon that can be grouped into three broad tiers, each with a distinctive role. This framing is not intended to supercede the others, nor is it inconsistent with them. The proposal emerges out of a series of discussions hosted by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, a Catholic UK-based development agency, member of Caritas Internationalis, and an official agency of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. The paper operates on two levels simultaneously: it attempts a distinctive reframing of CST using a distinctive source, and it attempts an enactment of CST methodologically and structurally. Construing CST as a multi-layered phenomenon that can be grouped into three broad tiers provides a clarity that empowers us in two ways. First, it clarifies the distinctive role of CST at each level. Second, it makes clear that CST is a work of the Spirit rather than a human phenomenon. Such an understanding of CST brings out with particular clarity a vision of the role, purpose, and even the agency of Catholic social thought in relation to a troubled world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a review of a book that examines the cultural impact of the Jesuits on the Spanish Monarchy during the Modern Age. The book is divided into five parts that address topics such as the documentary heritage of the Society, Jesuit contributions to theology and spirituality, the cultivation of sciences, apostolic activities, and artistic legacy and visual culture. The written production of the Society, bibliographic collections, and book purchasing policy are also analyzed. The author's objective is to show how the principles of Catholic social teaching can be applied in practical life through virtues. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the concept of Catholic identity and acknowledges the confusion surrounding it. It emphasizes that identities are socially constructed and constantly changing, and that individuals and institutions have multiple identities depending on the context. The article warns against reducing Catholicism to a single expression of identity and highlights the importance of understanding the context in which an institution operates. It also discusses the role of storytelling in shaping identities and calls for a return to the inductive method of teaching within the Catholic Church. The article concludes by promoting the synodal way, which encourages dialogue and mutual understanding to embrace diverse Catholic identities. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the decline in active engagement in the Christian Church in Australia and other parts of the world, accompanied by a loss of religious literacy and familiarity with religious practice and texts. It acknowledges negative critiques of religious communities and highlights challenges faced by the Catholic Church, such as uninspiring liturgy and the clerical sexual abuse crisis. The article suggests that a theological approach focusing on the relationship between grace and human freedom can help the church navigate these challenges and envision change without compromising its faith. It emphasizes the importance of accepting the difference between God and humans, and the need for members to accept that grace creates spaces that may be different from their own designs. The article concludes by asserting that the church cannot be transformed into something arbitrary, but rather into a new manifestation of its old reality guided by the grace and truth of God. It highlights the importance of God's relationship with the church, the role of the Holy Spirit in shaping the authenticity and mission of the Christian community, and the need for humility, attentiveness to the voice of the Spirit, and synodal discernment to navigate the future of the church. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides an overview of the book "Siblings All, Sign of the Times" by Cardinal Michael Czerny and Fr Christian Barone, which explores the anthropology of Pope Francis' social teaching. It discusses the significance of Cardinal Czerny's role as a close assistant to Pope Francis and the intellectual quality of the book. The article examines the relationship between the call to fraternity, concrete experiences of human dignity, and Christological proclamation in Francis' social teaching. It also discusses the influence of Vatican II and highlights Francis' dialogic stance towards the contemporary world, his emphasis on pastoral life, care for the earth, and dialogue as a method. The article further explores the concept of "signs of the times" in relation to Pope Francis' teaching and the importance of discernment in understanding the meaning of Christian faith. It also discusses the concept of Catholic social and ecological discernment as an alternative to the dominant Catholic social teaching discourse. The article concludes by discussing Pope Francis' anthropology of fraternity and his commitment to interreligious dialogue. [Extracted from the article]

On January 17, 2024, the Accord Research Alliance Faculty Group organized a webinar to provide a space for discussion on the Christian Relief, Development, and Advocacy (CRDA) journal's special issue on decolonization published a few months before in November 2023. The webinar was moderated by Nina Kurlberg, one of two co-editors of the special issue, and started with remarks by two main discussants. This second response is written by Charlotte Bray, who is currently studying anti-racism and power in international development from a Catholic theological perspective at the Lincoln Theological Institute at Manchester University. Believing that our theologies are central to our self-understandings and our actions, for both good and ill, Bray argues that historical Christianity bears much responsibility for the way the Global North skewed power toward themselves, a legacy for which we must account. Working from the perspective of Catholic Social Teaching, a rich resource for putting our theology on a more constructive path, she argues that Christians must take advantage of opportunities to make amends and work toward reconciliation in a newly structured anti-racist, decolonized world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of human dignity postulates that every individual inherently possesses intrinsic worth. This means that upholding human dignity demands an end to war and violence. Rooted in Catholic social teachings, human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human being is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This becomes instrumental in educating students about the imperative nature of respect, empathy and compassion towards all, irrespective of sociocultural backgrounds and individual beliefs. Given the profound implications held by the concept of human dignity, through their influence on their students, Catholic educational institutions can wield substantial influence in fostering peacebuilding initiatives and mitigating conflict. This research article presents a comparative study between California and Slovenia, highlighting variations in the autonomy of Catholic high schools in terms of teaching and curriculum development and implementation. Qualitative research into private Catholic high schools in these two states shows that those with greater autonomy tend to foster a more comprehensive grasp of human dignity. These schools also demonstrate students' enhanced ability to swiftly detect violations of human dignity, even when such breaches are not immediately evident. These observations emphasise the crucial role Catholic educational settings thereby play in the realm of peacebuilding and conflict deterrence, underscoring the need to embed a profound comprehension of human dignity in the educational framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the concept of human dignity, particularly in the context of poverty. It explores how poverty deprives individuals of their dignity and discusses the worldwide prevalence of poverty, including statistics from the United Nations Development Programme. It also examines poverty in the Philippines and its underlying causes.

"For God and My Country: Catholic Leadership in Modern Uganda" by JJ Carney is a book that provides an overview of the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in Uganda. The author focuses on six lesser-known Catholic leaders in Uganda who have made significant contributions to the nation. These leaders include laypeople, women, and clergy who have demonstrated a holistic and humanitarian approach to their work, reflecting core principles of Catholic social teaching. The book also explores the integration of Catholicism into public leadership and emphasizes the importance of service to the common good. The author suggests that American Christians can learn from these Ugandan leaders and highlights the need for a collaborative engagement with modernity in service to the people. [Extracted from the article]

"Playing God: American Catholic Bishops and The Far Right" by Mary Jo McConahay is a book that examines the shift of the U.S. Catholic bishops towards the right since the 1970s. It explores the bishops' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, their anti-abortion stances, and their alliances with conservative Catholic networks and media platforms. The book also discusses the influence of conservative Catholic organizations and individuals on the bishops' ideology. However, it does not fully connect the actions of these individuals and organizations to the bishops themselves. Overall, the book provides valuable insights into understanding U.S. Catholicism and the role of the bishops in the country. It discusses the connections between conservative Catholic organizations and the bishops, their opposition to Pope Francis's teachings, and their treatment of women and disregard for climate change. The text offers a comprehensive analysis of the sociopolitical and theological conservatism within the U.S. Catholic Church. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae is the property of Uniwerystet Kardynala Stefana Wyznskiege w Warzawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)