Catholic Social Teaching Resources

"The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. It offers moral principles and coherent values that are badly needed in our time. In this time of widespread violence and diminished respect for human life and dignity in our country and around the world, the Gospel of life and the biblical call to justice need to be proclaimed and shared with new clarity, urgency, and energy."
-Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, Reflections of the U.S. Catholic Bishops

Catholic Social Teaching is the church’s presentation and articulation of its reflection on human beings in society. It takes into consideration the various arenas that encompass life in society, including the political, economic, social, and cultural. It sets about naming the realities confronting persons and societies at a given point in time, highlighting the benefits and dangers those realities present to full human flourishing, and critiquing those realities and developments from the point of view of the values and moral vision of the Catholic faith.

Catholic Social Teaching is an essential element of faith and a key resource providing principles for reflection, criteria for judgment, and guidelines for action.

A wide range of resources can be found on this page to provide the background necessary to deepen your own knowledge and understanding of the social teaching so that you might pass it on to others.

Overview and Background Resources

Principles and Themes

Pedagogy Resources

Cross Curricular Connections

Encyclicals and Documents

Resource List and Tool Box

The following resources are useful tools to advance your own knowledge and background on Catholic Social Teaching. Recommended reading list [to come] Bibliography of resources [to come] Tools to use [to come]

Idea Exchange

A bulletin board feature where members can post ideas, questions or resources for others to see. – moderated [Phase two?]

Submit a resource

Do you have a creative idea, lesson plan, justice resource, etc that you would like to share with others? Submit your resource in the format provided and if we post your resource on the site, you will receive a free month of membership. Click here for details.

Suggest a resource

Are you looking for a particular topic or resource but don’t see it here? Do you have a suggestion for new content or types of resources you’d like to see? Do you have comments, feedback or corrections for a given resource?

Send us an e-mail at: efjresources@coc.org and tell us what you suggest. You may even win a free month of membership for a great idea!


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