Doing Faithjustice

Book excerpt: The author defines faithjustice as “a passionate virtue which disposes citizens to become involved in the greater and lesser societies around themselves in order to create communities where human dignity is protected and enhanced, the gifts of creation are shared for the common good, and the poor are treated with respect and a special love.” He says it is in the end “a habit of the believing heart.” Against the backdrop of the author’s explicit experiences as a southerner, lawyer, priest, and Jesuit, this book expounds on the meaning of faithjustice, starting with the biblical grounding. It then traverses the full breadth of historical developments in the Catholic Christian community for more than 200 years and elucidates the meaning of faithjustice in our contemporary context. Underlining all this is the author’s conviction that only people who are living out faithjustice commitments can promote the truth about the necessity of solidarity and counter the pernicious mistrust that creates division in society. This updated edition includes new materials on creation and the jubilee tradition and on the parables of Jesus; the writings of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis and other social teaching documents from the past twenty years; and updated economic, racial, and social data and analysis in light of the justice tradition.