In this book, Anthony Esolen unapologetically defends the authentic social teachings of the Church as articulated by Pope Leo XIII — widely considered to be the father of Catholic Social Teaching. Esolen pulls back the curtain on those who falsely claim that Church social teaching implies the existence of a secular and bureaucratic welfare state, arguing instead that any authentic teaching must focus first on building and stabilizing the most fundamental unit of society — the family. Only then can a virtuous society be built that leads us toward our purpose on earth: sanctification.
Read More
Many claim that Catholic social teaching implies the existence of a vast welfare state. In these pages, Anthony Esolen pulls back the curtain on these false philosophers, showing how they've undermined the authentic social teachings of the Church in order to neutralize the biggest threat to their plans for secularization --- the Catholic ChurchWith the voluminous writings of Pope Leo XIII as his guide, Esolen explains that Catholic social teaching isn't focused exclusively on serving the poor. Indeed, it offers us a rich treasure of insights about the nature of man, his eternal destiny, the sanctity of marriage, and the important role of the family in building a coherent and harmonious societyCatholic social teaching, explained Pope Leo, offers a unified worldview. What the Church says about the family is inextricable from what she says about the poor; and what she says about the Eucharist informs the essence of her teachings on education, the arts --- and even governmentYou will step away from these pages with a profound understanding of the root causes of the ills that afflict our society, and --- thanks to Pope Leo and Anthony Esolen --- well equipped to propose compelling remedies for themOnly an authentically Catholic culture provides for a stable and virtuous society that allows Christians to do the real work that can unite rich and poor. We must reclaim Catholic social teaching if we are to transform our society into the ideal mapped out by Pope Leo: a land of sinners, yes, but one enriched with love of God and neighbor and sustained by the very heart of the Church's social teaching: the most holy Eucharist
Read Less