Can a Catholic Be a Socialist? - Softcover

Trent Horn; Catherine R Pakaluk

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1683571622 ISBN 13: 9781683571629

Publisher: Catholic Answers Press, 2020

Synopsis

This long-discredited economic philosophy is making a comeback, not only on college campuses and political talk shows but among sincere Catholics. Some think it could be the answer to greed, and globalism. Some even argue that it s the best way to obey Christ s command to help the poor.

Let s give socialism a fresh chance, they say. A democratic socialism this time, friendly to religion and ordered to the common good, as the Church says the economy should be.

In Can a Catholic Be a Socialist?, Trent Horn and Catherine R. Pakaluk refute this tempting but false notion. Drawing on Scripture, history, Catholic social teaching, and basic economic reality, they show beyond a doubt that Catholicism and socialism are utterly incompatible.

Along the way, they debunk many of the common claims used to keep afloat the fantasy of a Christian-socialist hybrid, including:

- Since the early Christians kept their property in common, so should we.
- Jesus would be in favor an economic system that guarantees everyone food, health care, and education.
- The Church especially Pope Francis teaches that Catholics must find a third way between the extremes of Communism and capitalism.
- Socialism would work if it were just done right, like in Sweden.

Although there is no one Catholic economic system, Can a Catholic Be a Socialist? helps you understand commonsense economic principles that are truly in line with the Faith. For we all should work for an economy that gives life, fostering prosperity and the common good while providing opportunities to practice temperance and charity.

About this title

About the Author

After his conversion to the Catholic faith, Trent Horn earned master s degrees in the fields of theology, philosophy, and bioethics. He serves as a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, where he specializes in teaching Catholics to graciously and persuasively engage those who disagree with them. Trent models that approach each week on the radio program Catholic Answers Live and on his own podcast, The Counsel of Trent. He has also been invited to debate at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, and Stanford University. Trent is an adjunct professor of apologetics at Holy Apostles College, has written for The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, and is the author of nine books, including Answering Atheism, The Case for Catholicism, and Why We re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love.

Catherine Ruth Pakaluk, Ph.D, is assistant professor at The Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America. She specializes in the economics of education and religion, family studies and demography, Catholic social thought, and political economy. Pakaluk earned her doctorate at Harvard University in 2010 where she studied under 2016 Nobel-laureate Oliver Hart. She has authored and co-authored highly cited articles in journals including Economic Inquiry, Journal of Markets and Morality, Demography, and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Pakaluk is a widely admired writer and sought-after speaker on matters of culture, gender, social science, the vocation of women, and the work of Edith Stein. She lives in Maryland with her husband, philosopher Michael Pakaluk, and eight children.

From the Back Cover

This long-discredited economic philosophy is making a comeback, not only on college campuses and political talk shows but among sincere Catholics. Some think it could be the answer to greed, and globalism. Some even argue that it's the best way to obey Christ's command to help the poor.

Let's give socialism a fresh chance, they say. A democratic socialism this time, friendly to religion and ordered to the common good, as the Church says the economy should be.

In Can a Catholic Be a Socialist?, Trent Horn and Catherine R. Pakaluk refute this tempting but false notion. Drawing on Scripture, history, Catholic social teaching, and basic economic reality, they show beyond a doubt that Catholicism and socialism are utterly incompatible.

Along the way, they debunk many of the common claims used to keep afloat the fantasy of a Christian-socialist hybrid, including:

-Since the early Christians kept their property in common, so should we.

-Jesus would be in favor an economic system that guarantees everyone food, health care, and education.

-The Church teaches that Catholics must find a "third way" between the extremes of Communism and capitalism.

-Socialism would work if it were just done right, like in Sweden.

Although there is no one "Catholic" economic system, Can a Catholic Be a Socialist? helps you understand commonsense economic principles that are truly in line with the Faith. For we all should work for an economy that gives life, fostering prosperity and the common good while providing opportunities to practice temperance and charity.

Edition details

• Publisher: Catholic Answers Press
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1683571622
• ISBN 13: 9781683571629
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 210