The Public Order and the Sacred Order: Contemporary Issues, Catholic Social Thought, and the Western and American Traditions Book

This book evaluates a range of contemporary social and political questions in light of Catholic social teaching, philosophy, great political thinkers, and America's founding tradition. It is a strong and focused defense of traditional Catholic approaches to the questions of our time, and the vast array of material covered makes this book an invaluable reference for anyone interested in contemporary politics.

Library Journal

Some would argue that modern Western society in general, and American society in particular, is drifting away from its religious roots and, in so doing, is ever less influenced by the church. Among those seeking to stem the tide is Krason (political science & legal studies, Franciscan University of Steubenville), who has been hard at work in the orchards of Catholic scholarship for years. This work is the fruit of those labors, as it represents his collected writings over a span of a quarter of a century. It is an attempt to make the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church relevant to everyday American life by viewing our society through the lens of denominational doctrine. Abortion, economics, education, and free speech are just some of the issues Krason takes up. Not content merely to point out problems, Krason provides concrete solutions to some of the social ills discussed. Volume 1 is a collection of 45 separate essays organized thematically, with some written specifically for this work and others that have already been published elsewhere. Volume 2 is a compilation of primary sources germane to the discussion carried on in the first tome, including papal encyclicals, United States Supreme Court rulings, and other significant documents. BOTTOM LINE While hardly light reading, this is an important contribution to Catholic social thought. A solid work by a serious and judicious thinker, it would be most at home at seminary and theological libraries. Public and academic libraries with significant theological collections would also benefit from acquiring.—Michael Bemis, Washington Cty. Lib., Woodbury, MN