Welcome to the Catholic Social Teaching Module. In this module you will learn how the Catholic faith calls us to work for justice, to serve those in need, to pursue peace, and to defend the life, dignity, and rights of all our sisters and brothers.

We will explore how seven principles (or themes) of Catholic social teaching seek to embody the teachings of Jesus, the challenge of the Old Testament prophets, and the living tradition of the Church: (1) Call to Family, Community, and Participation; (2) Care for God’s Creation; (3) Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; (4) Life and dignity of the human person; (5) Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; (6) Rights and Responsibilities, and (7) Solidarity. We will also explore how to put Catholic social teaching into action through works of charity and justice.

Before You Begin

• We have created a Downloadable Catholic Social Teaching Guide to Catholic Social Teaching with all of the articles and worksheets your will need for this module. Download the guide before you start. We also provide worksheets in Word files to make them easy for you to write-on. 

Contents:

1. Catholic Social Teaching Quiz
2. Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
3. Principles of Catholic Social Teaching – Saint Mary’s Press. 
4. The Scriptures and Concern for Justice – Saint Mary’s Press. 
5. Applying the Themes of Catholic Social Teaching by Sr. Joan Hart SSND. Sadlier Religion, 2015.
6. Analyzing Social Issues
7. The ART of Catholic Social Teaching
8. Two Feet of Love in Action
9. A Pledge to Serve, Act with Justice, and Work for Peace 
10. Scripture Foundations of Social Justice

• Print this Checklist for Catholic Social Teaching to help you monitor your progress as you work through this module.

• It will be helpful to have a journal to record any reflections you make as your work your way through this module.

To learn more about Catholic Social Teaching the following books provide an easy-to-read presentation of the seven principles. 

• Catholic Social Teaching: A User’s Guide. William O’Neal, SJ. (Orbis Books, 2021) 
• A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching (Third Edition). Kevin E. McKenna. (Ave Maria Press, 2019)
• Lazarus at the Table Catholics and Social Justice. Bernard F. Evans (Liturgical Press, 2006)