THEO43930: Catholic Social Thought

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• to provide an advanced level introduction to Catholic Social Thought (CST), understood as the wider theological and theoretical framework encompassing the official teaching of the Catholic Church on social matters
• to place CST in its wider ecumenical and moral theological context
• to offer a critical appraisal of this tradition in relation to other theological and social scientific resources
• to consider the implications of CST for a variety of social, political and economic questions and issues

• Review of the official teaching documents of the Catholic Church
• Exposition of the key concepts running through CST, including the dignity of the human person, the common good, solidarity and subsidiarity, the universal destination of goods and the preferential option for the poor
• Study of key academic contributions and commentaries
• Discussion of the application of CST to social, political and economic issues such as migration, poverty and welfare, climate change, economic development, employment and wages, international trade, banking and finance, personal and corporate property rights

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• knowledge and understanding of the official teaching documents together with the major academic contributions and commentaries
• awareness of the changing historical context addressed by the teaching documents
• greater awareness of the factual aspects of the major social, political and economic issues under consideration

Subject-specific Skills:

• skill in the exegesis and hermeneutics of official teaching documents
• the ability to interpret the abstract concepts of CST so as to bring them to bear on practical questions

Key Skills:

• advanced research skills, including the identification, evaluation and proper citation of key sources
• advanced communication skills, including the abilities to construct a sophisticated written argument and to make a clear verbal evaluation of written texts

• Teaching is through seminars in which the leader will introduce the topic but students are expected to participate fully on the basis that they have read and made their own assessments of the relevant texts prior to each seminar.
• Tutorials (on a one-to-one basis) will offer an opportunity for feedback on assigned work.
• The essays require students to investigate particular topics, to present their findings in a clear and concise manner and to cite their sources properly, displaying their subject-specific knowledge, subject-specific skills, and key skills.

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