This document summarizes the development of Catholic social teachings from biblical times to the modern era in 7 parts: 1. It outlines the biblical foundations in caring for the poor found in both the Old and New Testaments. 2. It describes the early systematic approaches to social ethics during the first millennium. 3. It discusses thinkers like Thomas Aquinas who provided orientations for Catholic social teaching. 4. It examines the impacts of Enlightenment thinking on social life and Catholic teachings. 5. It addresses the rise of industrial capitalism and economic exploitation. 6. It looks at Catholic fascination with the social order of the Middle Ages. 7. It analyzes the

1. INTRODUCTION:
Development of
the Social Teachings of the Church

2. OBJECT OF
SOCIAL DOCTRINES
Critical reflection on:
The existing social structures
& collective action

3. DIRECTED
TOWARDS:
Reform and
establishment of
new structures
Humanization of
structures:
justice, freedom,
human rights and
equality

4. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH’S
UNDERSTANDING
OF HER SOCIAL MISSION

5. EARLY HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT
1. BIBLE: PRIMARY
SOURCE OF CATHOLIC
SOCIAL ETHICS

6. O. T. CONCEPT OF THE
INDIVIDUAL:
BELONGS TO A
COMMUNITY.
WORKS FOR JUSTICE
WITHIN THAT
COMMUNITY.

7. MANIFESTED IN THE CONCERN FOR THE POOR:
ANAWIM WIDOWS, STRANGERS, & ORPHANS.

8. OLD TESTAMENT
"Do not take advantage of a widow or an
orphan."
Exodus 22:22
"During the seventh year, let the land lie
unplowed and unused. Then the poor among
your people may get food from it, and the wild
animals may eat what they leave. Do the same
with your vineyard and your olive grove."
Exodus 23:11

9. "Do not go over your vineyard a second time or
pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them
for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your
God." Leviticus 19:10
"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any
of the towns of the land that the LORD your God
is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted
toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7

10. "When you are harvesting in your field and you
overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it
for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that
the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of
your hands. When you beat the olives from your
trees, do not go over the branches a second time.
Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless
and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in
your vineyard, do not go over the vines again.
Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless
and the widow."
Deuteronomy 24:19-21

11. "There will always be poor people in the land.
Therefore I command you to be openhanded
toward your brothers and toward the poor and
needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11
"Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: The
seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,
so that you do not show ill will toward your needy
brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal
to the LORD against you, and you will be found
guilty of sin." Deuteronomy 15:9

12. NEW TESTAMENT
"Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell
your possessions and give to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"
Matthew 19:21
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I
was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was
a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has
anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to release the
oppressed." Luke 4:18

13. "So he replied to the messengers, Go back and
report to John what you have seen and heard: The
blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have
leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are
raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.'"
Luke 7:22
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his
brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the
love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not
love with words or tongue but with actions and in
truth."
1 John 3:17-18

14. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a
gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in
shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special
attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say,
'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor
man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my
feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves
and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my
dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are
poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and
to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love
Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the
rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones
who are dragging you into court?“James 2:2-6

15. THE BIBLE
IS AN IMPORTANT
SOURCE OF SOCIAL
ETHICS BUT: DEALS WITH
A SPECIFIC TEACHING;
MAN’S SALVATION
HENCE: NOT PRIMARILY
INTERESTED IN
METHODOLOGICAL AND
SYTEMATIC APPORACH
TOWARDS SOCIAL ETHICS

16. 2. FIRST 1 THOUSAND
YEARS
MOVEMENT TOWARDS:
SYSTEMATIC AND
SCIENTIFIC
UNDERSTANDING OF
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN:
SECULAR AND SACRED
STATE AND CHURCH

17. ISSUES OF POLITICS,
COMMERCE, AND FAMILY
WERE DISCUSSED IN
GREAT DETAIL.
CONCERNS OF JUSTICE
AND CARE FOR THE POOR
ALWAYS CONSTITUTED AN
IMPORTANT CONCERN
FOR THE CHURCH
THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY.

18. 3. EARLY PART OF THE 2ND MILLENIUM:
THE ORIGIN OF UNIVERSITIES.
MORE SYSTEMATIC AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

19. SAINT TOMAS AQUINAS:
PROVIDED A LASTING
ORIENTATION FOR
CATHOLIC SOCIAL
TEACHING
THROUGH:
DIALOGUE WITH &
INCORPORATION OF…
ARISTOTELIAN
PERSPECTIVES
ESPECIALLY THE
ANTHROPOLOGICAL BASIS

20. a. MAN AS A PERSON
AN INDIVIDUAL SUBSTANCE ENDOWED WITH
KNOWLEDGE, FREEDOM AND VOLUNTARINESS.

21. b. MAN IS SOCIAL
EXISTS IN MULTIPLE LAYERS OF RELATIONSHIPS:
FAMILY, CHURCH, STATE BROADER HUMAN COMMUNITIES

22. c. MAN IS POLITICAL
HENCE, THE STATE IS:
NATURAL TO MAN
BASICALLY GOOD;
TOWARDS WHICH MAN
IS CALLED TO BE
HAPPY AND FULFILLED.

23. THE UNDERSTANDING OF JUSTICE
IN KEEPING WITH MAN’S SOCIAL NATURE:
BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS
INDIVIDUALS AND STATE
STATE AND INDIVIDUALS

24. 4. 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES
GROWTH OF ENLIGHTENMENT
EMPHASES:
INDIVIDUAL &
HUMAN FREEDOM
THAT IS TOTALLY CUT-OFF
FROM RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
AND GOD’S LAW.

25. AFFECTED CATHOLIC
SOCIAL TEACHING AND
SOCIAL LIFE
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS
STRONGLY OPPOSED
TO ENLIGHTENMENT:

26. a. RELIGIOUS LIBERALISM
BY EXTOLLING CONSCIENCE
AND FREEDOM OF
INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER:
THE INDIVIDUAL WAS
SEPARATED FROM THE
IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE CHURCH AND
HER TEACHINGS

27. b. PHILOSOPHICAL
LIBERALISM
STRESSED FREEDOM
OF INDIVIDUAL
AND POWER OF
HUMAN REASON
DIVORCED FROM ANY
RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD

28. c. POLITICAL LIBERALISM
STRESSED THE ROLE
OF INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS,
DECISIONS MADE
BY MAJORITY VOTE…
WITHOUT
CONSIDERATION GIVEN
TO GOD’S LAW

29. 5. SECOND HALF OF
19TH CENTURY
INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
GAVE RISE TO
ECONOMIC QUESTIONS:
CAPITALISM &
EXPLOITATION OF
WORKERS

30. CAPITALISM: ECONOMIC LIBERALISM
ALLOWED THE ENTREPRENEUR TO DO WHATEVER
HE/SHE WANTS IN PURSUIT OF PROFITWITH NO
CONCERN FOR OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE ENTERPRISE.

31. 6. 20TH CENTURY
CATHOLIC FASCINATION WITH
THE MIDDLE AGES
THE MIDDLE AGES EPITOMIZED THE CHRISTIAN IDEAL:
A.THE SOCIAL PERSON IN AN ORGANIC SOCIETY

32. B. ALL CHRISTIANS
WERE UNITED
UNDER ONE TRUE
RELIGION

33. C. KINGS AND RULERS
RECOGNIZED THEIR OBLIGATION TO GOD

34. D. SOCIAL SOLIDARITY MARKED THE
ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION OF THE SOCIETY
NO INDIVIDUAL QUEST FOR WEALTH AND
PERSONAL GAIN.

35. 7. SOCIALISM
THE MODERN SOCIALIST
MOVEMENT HAD ITS
ORIGIN LARGELY IN THE
WORKING CLASS
MOVEMENT OF THE
LATE 19TH CENTURY.
CONDEMNED CAPITALISM
AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

36. KARL MARX, HELPED
ESTABLISH AND DEFINE
THE MODERN SOCIALIST
MOVEMENT,
SOCIALISM IMPLIED THE
ABOLITION OF:
MONEY, MARKET,
CAPITAL AND LABOR AS A
COMMODITY.

37. PROPERTY AND THE
DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH
ARE SUBJECT TO
SOCIAL CONTROL
THIS CONTROL MAY BE:
DIRECT : EXERCISED
THROUGH POPULAR
COLLECTIVES SUCH AS
WORKERS’ COUNCILS
INDIRECT : EXERCISED ON
BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE
BY THE STATE

38. IN SOCIALISM,
THE COMMUNITY
OR WORKER
OWN THE
MEANS OF
PRODUCTION.
MEANS OF PRODUCTION:
ANYTHING NECESSARY FOR LABOR TO PRODUCE;
MACHINES, TOOLS, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, LAND,
RAW MATERIALS, MONEY, POWER GENERATION, AND
SO ON.

39. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED CATHOLIC
RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
QUESTIONS:
1. SACRED SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION

40. 2. RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF WORKERS
AND POOR PEOPLE

41. 3. ATTITUDE TOWARDS ENLIGHTENMENT AND SOCIALISM

42. 4. CATHOLIC TENDENCY TO LOOK
ON THE MIDDLE AGES AS THE IDEAL LIFE

43. 5. REVIVED INTEREST
IN THE PHILOSPHY
AND TEACHINGS OF
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS

44. REFERENCES:
Curran, Charles E. Catholic Social Teaching, 1891-Present: A Historical,
Theological and Ethical Analysis (Washington: Georgetown University Press, 2002).