The course starts with the societal relevance of Catholic social thought and ends with it. In the first meetings, we will study the Christian roots of the welfare state. In the last meetings, we will study contemporary practices from the perspective of Catholic social thought. In between, we study the continuities and discontinuities of Christian social thought. You will get an overview of the way contemporary Catholic social doctrine came into being in relation with non-official Catholic thought. You will learn how to evaluate examples of this doctrine, such as encyclical letters.
 

Compulsory reading (see also the column on the right) Franciscus, Laudato Si’, 2015. Francis P. McHugh, Catholic Social Thought, Renovation the Tradition. A Keyguide to Resources, Peeters, 2008. Free access at http://www.kuleuven.be/ccst/upload/publications/catholicsocialthought.pdf Michael Hornsby Smith, An introduction to Catholic Social Thought, Cambridge University Press, 2006.  (hoofdstuk 5, in reader) Paulus VI, Gravissimum Educationis, 1965. Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 1891 Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 1931 Recommended reading (see also the column on the right) P. van Geest, M. Poorthuis, Th. Wagenaar & A. Warrringa (red.), Maak vrienden met de Mammon, Almere: Parthenon, 2013. Borgman, Erik. Leven van wat komt. Een katholiek uitzicht op de samenleving. Utrecht: Meinema, 2017.