The Catholic social imagination : activism and the just society in Mexico and the United States / Joseph M. Palacios.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Palacios, Joseph Martin.

Series:

Morality and society

Morality and society series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christian sociology--Catholic Church.

Christian sociology.

Christian sociology--United States.

United States.

Christian sociology--Mexico.

Catholic Church--Doctrines.

Catholic Church.

Church and state--United States.

Church and state.

Church and state--Mexico.

Mexico.

Physical Description:

xii, 315 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2007.

Summary:

The reach of the Catholic Church is arguably greater than that of any other religion, extending across diverse political, ethnic, class, and cultural boundaries. But what is it about Catholicism that resonates so profoundly with followers who live under disparate conditions? What is it, for instance, that binds parishioners in America with those in Mexico? For Joseph M. Palacios, what unites Catholics is a sense of being Catholic-a social imagination that motivates them to promote justice and build a better world.

Tracing the practices of a group of parishioners in Oakland, California, and another in Guadalajara, Mexico, Palacios reveals parallels-and contrasts-in the ways these ordinary Catholics receive and act on a church doctrine that emphasizes social justice. Whether they are building a supermarket for the low-income elderly or waging protests to promote school reform, these parishioners provide important insights into the construction of the Catholic social imagination. Throughout, Palacios also offers important new cultural and sociological interpretations of Catholic doctrine on issues such as poverty, civil and human rights, political participation, and the natural law.

Contents:

Part 1 The Catholic Church Takes on Social Justice as Doctrine

1 The Mission and Struggle of Roman Catholics to Create a Just Society 3

2 Political and Cultural Construction of the Catholic Social Doctrine 21

Part 2 One Church, One Border, Two Justices

3 The U.S. Case: Pragmatic and Practice Oriented 65

4 The Mexican Case: Doctrinally Oriented 133

Part 3 A Faith That Does Justice?

5 The Catholic Social Imagination as Doctrine and Practice 205

Appendix A Principles of Catholic Social Justice Doctrine 233

Appendix B Research Sites and Instruments 246.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [283]-301) and index.

ISBN:

9780226645001

0226645002

9780226645018

0226645010

OCLC:

74965210

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description