Critical theory and the Catholic Church′s ambivalence about capitalism

Abstract

Catholic social thought presents itself as a reflection by the Church on socio‐economic issues. The Church in its teachings has always had, and continues to have, an ambivalent attitude towards the capitalist economic system. This ambivalence has not always expressed itself in the most effective and appropriate ways. Attempts to argue that social analysis from a critical theory perspective is both able to capture effectively the ambivalence which Catholic social thought feels towards capitalism, and to put into a broader theoretical context many of the critiques levelled against the Church′s teachings. This in turn allows for a more cogent presentation of the Church′s normative project.

Citation

Reed, D. (1995), "Critical theory and the Catholic Church′s ambivalence about capitalism", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 19-39. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068299510078813