On Charity And Justice

Kuyper on a Theological Approach to Justice The practical outworking of Kuyper's doctrine of common grace demanded a commitment to seeking Christ's glory in every sphere of human life. Christians are called to witness to the lordship of Christ through sacrificial service, not domination, and such service calls us to seek charity and justice for all people. In this anthology of articles and reflections, Kuyper articulates a Christian vision for engaging with society. Though his analysis was intended for his late-nineteenth-century Dutch context, his thoughts remain strikingly relevant for Christians living in the modern world. For Kuyper, God's law preserved civil justice, making humane life possible. However, the law itself could not save society—only the gospel can transform the heart. But the gospel is for all of life. Kuyper elaborated a social Christian approach to politics, resulting in a distinct perspective on property, human dignity, democracy, and justice.

This book focuses on the ethical demands of extreme poverty and develops a political theory of practical change. Welding together political realism and moral aspirations, it argues that a re-imagined form of development NGO can help the global North break free from the dominant and persistent charity paradigm and drift towards a justice-based understanding of extreme poverty. It offers an original explanation of why the charity paradigm persists and why the “justice not charity” messages from development NGOs have changed few minds. The author argues that anyone concerned with a paradigm shift from charity to justice need to radically rethink the problem of political communication: who should communicate what messages about extreme poverty in what ways? Based on a rational choice critique of the competitive development NGO sector, the author calls for sector-wide reform and the emergence of a new political agent – the Avant-garde NGO - which transcends the charity frame that NGOs currently find themselves locked in. Further, inspired by literary theory and social psychology, he offers a fresh account of how the Avant-garde NGO could, through reflective public engagement, induce attitude change and lead genuine social and political reform.

Kuyper on a Theological Approach to Justice The practical outworking of Kuyper's doctrine of common grace demanded a commitment to seeking Christ's glory in every sphere of human life. Christians are called to witness to the lordship of Christ through sacrificial service, not domination, and such service calls us to seek charity and justice for all people. In this anthology of articles and reflections, Kuyper articulates a Christian vision for engaging with society. Though his analysis was intended for his late--nineteenth--century Dutch context, his thoughts remain strikingly relevant for Christians living in the modern world. For Kuyper, God's law preserved civil justice, making humane life possible. However, the law itself could not save society--only the gospel can transform the heart. But the gospel is for all of life. Kuyper elaborated a social Christian approach to politics, resulting in a distinct perspective on property, human dignity, democracy, and justice.

Before the 99% occupied Wall Street... Before the concept of social justice had impinged on the social conscience... Before the social safety net had even been conceived... By the turn of the 20th Century, the era of the robber barons, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) had already accumulated a staggeringly large fortune; he was one of the wealthiest people on the globe. He guaranteed his position as one of the wealthiest men ever when he sold his steel business to create the United States Steel Corporation. Following that sale, he spent his last 18 years, he gave away nearly 90% of his fortune to charities, foundations, and universities. His charitable efforts actually started far earlier. At the age of 33, he wrote a memo to himself, noting ..".The amassing of wealth is one of the worse species of idolatry. No idol more debasing than the worship of money." In 1881, he gave a library to his hometown of Dunfermline, Scotland. In 1889, he spelled out his belief that the rich should use their wealth to help enrich society, in an article called "The Gospel of Wealth" this book. Carnegie writes that the best way of dealing with wealth inequality is for the wealthy to redistribute their surplus means in a responsible and thoughtful manner, arguing that surplus wealth produces the greatest net benefit to society when it is administered carefully by the wealthy. He also argues against extravagance, irresponsible spending, or self-indulgence, instead promoting the administration of capital during one's lifetime toward the cause of reducing the stratification between the rich and poor. Though written more than a century ago, Carnegie's words still ring true today, urging a better, more equitable world through greater social consciousness.

This work explores the Jewish sources of philanthropic institutions in the Western world, a focus that has long been ignored by those who have focused their interest on the Greco-Roman culture. The author explores the possibility of Jewish influence on early Christian charities.

Grounded in his expertise of the social doctrine of the Catholic Church, in Justice and Charity, Fulton J. Sheen explores how Capitalism's failure to submit to justice and Communism's rejection of Christian Charity can be corrected only by a revolution in the heart of men by means of encountering Jesus Christ. Back in print for the first time since its original publication. Justice and Charity is a thought-provoking exploration into the social tradition of the Catholic Church led by one of her finest voices.

Keller explores a life of justice empowered by an experience of grace.

In honor of Catholic Charities USA's centennial celebration, this masterful work explores the development of Catholic Charities in the United States over the last one hundred years. Featuring contributions by renowned Catholic scholars and respected leaders in the Catholic Charities movement, this work delves into the social and demographic realities that gave rise to the National Conference of Catholic Charities in 1910, the role of parishes in the development of diocesan agencies, the professionalization of social work and its impact on Catholic Charities, and the effect of church-state partnerships on the identity of Catholic charitable organizations. This thoughtful work also explores Catholic social teaching and the theological foundation for Catholic Charities, the seminal self-studies that have shaped the direction of Catholic Charities since Vatican II, the meaning of Catholic mission and identity in a pluralistic society, the relationship between charity and justice in the work of Catholic Charities, and the role of Catholic Charities in fulfilling the social mission of the church. J. Bryan Hehir is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion and Public Life at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is also the Secretary for Health and Social Services for the Archdiocese of Boston. Prior to assuming these positions, Father Hehir served as President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA from 2001 to 2003. He taught for several years at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and Kennedy Institute in Ethics as well as at the Harvard Divinity School. He also spent nearly twenty years working at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.