Thesis advisor: Thomas Massaro / Globalization is a social and economic fact. It is best described as the ascendancy of the free market regulated by supply and demand. By the manner in which trade has been extended, along with the ease of financial investing and reinvesting and the migration of people, globalization has engineered a global growth and stimulated the creation of wealth in such a way that for many it "has been an economic godsend," "a common climb to the top, a rising tide raising all boats." However the growth generated has not always benefited all nations. The African countries, including Benin, have been deeply hurt by the negative aspects of globalization and they have been marginalized by increasing poverty, inequality and injustice resulting from the expansion of privatization and liberalization. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Thesis advisor: David Hollenbach / What is the relationship between solidarity and human rights? In answering this question, this dissertation argues that human rights and solidarity are mutually dependent upon one another; and second, that the virtue of solidarity is habituated and cultivated through the practicing respect for human rights. In order to make this argument, this dissertation follows in three main parts. First, it examines recent Catholic social teachings (John XXIII to John Paul II) on the themes of human rights and solidarity. The purpose is to detail the development of teaching on human rights and solidarity and begin to examine the relationship between the two. Second, it seeks to provide a normative argument for a clearer relationship between solidarity and human rights through a deeper investigation of the human person as participatory in philosophical and theological anthropology. To accomplish this, I use the philosophical anthropology of Charles Taylor and a theological anthropology grounded in the imago dei, contemporary Trinitarian theologies and covenantal theology. Finally, it shows that understanding human rights and solidarity as foundational for the person has implications for ethical policy concerning human rights, through engagement with developmental economist and human rights theorist Amartya Sen. From this, I argue that human rights and solidarity are mutually dependent. It is my assertion that human rights cannot be realized without solidarity, and vice versa. Furthermore, one cannot acquire the virtue of solidarity, as a second nature, except through the praxis of respect for human rights. In this relationship between human rights and solidarity, I contend that Catholic social thought can offer an important contribution to the philosophical and political debates about moral obligations for human rights and the emerging responsibility to protect doctrine. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

This thesis examines directly the development of Catholic social teaching in respect of the rights and duties of the worker. Beginning with the Old Testament, the thesis compares the attitude of the Hebrew people as expressed in Scripture to those who performed the tasks associated with the crafts or with labour. This shows how the attitude of the Hebrews to workers, in comparison with the attitude of surrounding peoples, was ameliorated by their belief in a just God who spoke to them in Scripture and through the prophets. In its examination of the New Testament, the thesis extracts gospel references to the worker and extracts from the Epistles, particularly from the Pauline texts, on the subject. The changes in attitude to the worker as expressed in the New and Old Testaments are noted. Next examined are the writings of the Church Fathers and their application to the worker. It can be seen from this examination that the early Church Fathers, whilst not directly developing a body of teaching in respect of the worker, developed a philosophical platform for its later development. It will be shown how the teachings of the Church Fathers, in their application of teaching of Jesus in the Gospels to the prevailing attitudes of Roman society contributed to the further amelioration of the condition of slaves in the later Empire. When speaking of the worker in Greco-Roman society, one is in effect speaking about the institution of slavery. The thesis then discusses the further changes in attitude to the worker that followed the decline of imperial authority in the west. It examines the role of the Church and its teaching regarding the dignity of the human person and the place of work in the scheme of redemption, and how it had an ameliorating effect on the treatment of slaves in the various Barbarian kingdoms which arose in the west following the extinguishing of Roman authority. The thesis argues that it was the influence of Christianity which ultimately led to the evolution of the condition of slavery as it was known in the Roman Empire and Carolingian period, to that of the serfdom of the Middle Ages. Next discussed is the 'Guild System' of regulating and controlling the crafts. The Guilds were a society, in part co-operative but mainly composed of private owners of capital whose corporation was self governing, and was designed to check competition between its members in order to prevent the growth of one at the expense of the other. The thesis examines how the Guilds functioned and explains why some Catholic writers such as Hilaire Belloc and Gilbert Keith Chesterton regarded the Guilds as an excellent example of the practical application of Christian principles to work and economics. The thesis then examines the effects of the Reformation and the rise of liberal capitalism from the Guild system and how they both contributed to its decline. Following the decline of the Guild system and the onset of liberal capitalism, society came to be divided into two classes, the capitalist class, and the proletariat. This thesis examines how this development occurred and the factors which contributed to it. It shows how the division of society into capitalist and proletariat, haves and have-nots, resulted in the development of a class war and the antagonism between capital and labour. The thesis shows how under the liberal capitalist system, the conditions of the working class came to resemble in the words of Leo XIII, 'a yoke, almost of slavery'. Next developed and analysed is the manner in which the antinomy between capital and labour gave birth to the philosophy of Marxism in 1848 following the publication of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels. It shows how the development of these two antagonistic classes was viewed by the Church as an aberration or distortion of the social order and how in response to the rise of the philosophy of Marxism, Leo XIII countered with his great social encyclical Rerum Novarum, promulgated on the 15th May 1891, which was to earn him the title of 'The Workers' Pope'. The thesis then deals sequentially with the social teachings and encyclicals of Popes Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II. All of these Popes, in some way, expanded upon and developed the social teaching of the Church regarding the workers. In many ways it could be said that the later encyclicals have 'fleshed out' Rerum Novarum. During this period, numerous advances have been made in the fields of technology and there has been a considerable improvement in the conditions and wages of workers. In its consideration of the social encyclicals since Rerum Novarum, this thesis discusses the way in which the Popes have developed and expanded Catholic social teaching in respect of the workers as changes in technology and various structural changes to the financial system threw up new and complex challenges to the creation of a just social order in which the dignity and the rights of workers are fully respected. It is shown how the Popes since Leo XIII have confronted the injustices associated with these developments and detailed recommendations for action, some of which would be viewed by many as quite radical. Later in this thesis deleterious effects upon the rights of workers of global neo-liberal capitalism are identified. It is demonstrated that in the early years of the twenty-first century, there are already signs that some of the less desirable traits of laissez faire or liberal capitalism, are once again rearing their heads. This is seen in such developments as the 'hollowing out' of the middle class and the concentration of wealth in fewer hands. It is also seen in the slow but sure erosion of the working conditions of workers and in their level of remuneration. It is seen in developed countries, in the trend towards longer working hours and the increasing casualisation of the workforce. This thesis shows that in the context of the world economy, a gap continues to widen between the developed and undeveloped nations, whilst inequitable trade agreements tend to confine the developing nations to the status of providers of raw materials to the industrialised world, an inequity, which, more often than not finds itself imposed upon the working men and women of the developing nations in the form of long hours, low wages and poor conditions. It is a tenet of this thesis that the social teaching of the Church directly the challenges and confronts the philosophy of neo-liberal capitalism and its associated philosophy of globalism in respect of the attaining of a just distribution of the world's goods, the dignity of work and the mutual dependence of capital and labour.

Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J. was elected the 28th superior general of the Society of Jesus in 1965 and served in that role until 1983. As superior general, Arrupe sought to shape the Jesuits in the spirit of the vision of Vatican II, as well as the original charism of the founder of the Jesuit, St. Ignatius. The questions this dissertation seeks to answer is how Fr. Pedro Arrupe understood solidarity in light of his own life and theological perspectives and then how his view continues to shape Jesuit education today. <br>The first chapter examines solidarity as an element of Catholic social teaching, which sets the historical and theological context for the rest of the dissertation. It briefly looks at the historical development of solidarity within papal encyclicals, as well as within selected contextual theologies. <br>The second chapter is the heart of the dissertation, which looks at Arrupe's contribution to solidarity through three lenses: solidarity with those suffering, solidarity through inculturation and solidarity created by the Eucharist. Drawing from historical, sociological and theological sources, Arrupe's vision of solidarity is strongly influenced by his twenty-seven years in Japan and his dedication to Ignatian spirituality. The chapter also puts Arrupe's work in dialogue with other theologians wrestling with similar issues in order to demonstrate how Arrupe adds to their analysis. <br>The third and fourth chapters examine the way Arrupe's ideas have influenced those who came after him. Chapter three explores the superior generals since Arrupe, Fr. Kolvenbach and Fr. Nicholas, and how they are extended Arrupe's ideas of solidarity towards Jesuit education and interreligious dialogue. The third chapter also looks at two other Jesuits, Fr. Howard Gray and Fr. Greg Boyle, each applying solidarity to Jesuit education and Jesuit social justice apostolates. The fourth chapter is a case study based on my experiences working with immersion groups at John Carroll University and the way solidarity is taught through these experiences. Specifically, the focus is on two experiences going to Immokalee, Florida in 2011 and 2013 and the positive and negative elements of immersion programs in developing solidarity in Jesuit educated university students. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; / Theology / PhD; / Dissertation;

Thesis advisor: Roberto Goizueta / Having first spoken to the situation of the poor in Latin America, liberation theology is a movement that has empowered the marginalized in a number of different regions and oppressive contexts. This thesis explores the growth of liberation theology in the Filipino situation by drawing on the history and present state of the Philippines and the author’s own experiences in the country. After a description of the history of colonialism, the development of the political systems, and the condition of the environment, the paper also describes the genesis of liberation theology in Latin America as a template for Filipino liberation theology. The next chapter details the current movements for liberation in the Philippines, particularly how they apply to the political and environmental realities of the country. The author’s own stories of accompanying a marginalized community of persons with disabilities are included as instances of liberation among the Filipino people. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Theology.

This thesis extends and refines a growing body of literature that has highlighted the impact of Catholic social principles on the development of welfare state provision. It suggests that Catholic social teaching is intent on preserving the role of the traditional family, and keeping power out of the hands of the state. Much of this literature, however, is concerned with European experience (Esping-Andersen, 1990; Castles, 1993; van Kersbergen, 1995). More recently Smyth (2003) has augmented this research through an examination of the influence of Catholic social thought on Australian welfare policy. He concludes that the Australian Church, at least up to the 1970s, preferred a �welfare society� over a �welfare state�, an outlook shared by the wider Australian community. Following the lead of Smyth, this thesis extends the insights of the European research through an examination of Catholic Church resistance to ALP proposals to introduce national health schemes in the 1940s and the 1970s. These appeared to satisfy the Church�s commitment to the poorest and most marginalised groups in the community. Why, then, did the Australian Church resist the proposals? The thesis concludes that there are at least two possible ways of interpreting Catholic social teaching � a preconciliar interpretation that minimises the role of the state, and a postconciliar interpretation that allows for an active, albeit limited, state. The adoption of either is informed by socio-political factors. The thesis, then, concludes that the response of the Church in the 1940s and the 1970s was conditioned by socio-political and historical factors that inclined the Australian Catholic Church towards a conservative view of welfare.

This project considers the ways in which the dominant discourse on refugees might reinforce the negative impacts or limit the positive impacts of aid. Care for refugees is a difficult task that takes place in a discourse that begins with numerical calculi, a language that expresses ambivalence about our obligations for this category of persons, fear of their collective identity, and a deep ceded notion of refugees as an object of concern, a worthy cause, a growing problem, and a burden that must be shared. <br>What we choose to do for and about refugees emerge from our present awareness (knowledge) as a process of deliberation predisposed and reinforced by the circulating and authoritative dominant discourse that has defined refugees and their relationship with larger society. Any attempts to affect the discourse on refugees therefore must begin with the re-evaluating what has gone before. <br>The theoretical and analytical tools for the task of problematizing the dominant discourse on refugees were: 1) Analysis of the contemporary discourses on refugees, 2) Foucault's archeology and genealogy of discourse, 3) Mauss' theory of gift-exchange in the third party setting, 4) Goffman's total institution theory on stigma and identity, and 5) moral perceptions created by a discourse based on agency, reciprocity, solidarity, and hope. <br>Discursive analysis affirms that the dominant discourse has historically been absent the refugee voice and lacking the agency to affect contingent changes in his or her life. It was shown that our reservoir of knowledge about refugees has been deposited in multiple layers of meaning, metaphor, media depictions, statistics, institutional dogma, and a political/ organizational superstructure. The dominant discourse on refugees was then challenged with a more inclusive approach that includes the themes of agency, reciprocity, solidarity, and hope giving primacy to the human connection between the refugee and aid rendered as a means of improving the care and outcome for refugees. <br>This project embraces the idea that the words we choose in dialogue about others, distant or near, can bring either hope or complacency, mercy or empty justice, compassion or apathy, life or death. We are called on to choose life. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; / Health Care Ethics / PhD; / Dissertation;

This dissertation explores the role of justice in the writings of Catholic ethicist Lisa Sowle Cahill. Since 1990, Cahill has supported theological voices participating in the public forum, which she describes as a meeting ground for diverse intellectual and religious traditions. Good argumentation is necessary but not sufficient to resolve ethical dilemmas within the politically liberal context in which Cahill makes her claims. Instead, her commitment to justice underwrites those narratives and practices which demand one's fullest possible participation in contributing toward the common good. Cahill's notion of justice develops correlatively to the degree that she integrates the principles of Catholic Social Teaching into her project. The dissertation describes this expansion in Cahill's later essays as "collaborative justice." The dissertation concludes with an examination of her writings on human genetic engineering as a potential application of collaborative justice. Cahill's strong arguments can be helpful in steering the process toward less-harmful outcomes. In doing so, Cahill's principles of collaborative justice look beyond act-focused considerations of Catholic ethics or the procedural justice of liberal traditions, and leaves open the possibility of reconciliation should such future genetic intervention prove undesirable. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; / Theology / PhD; / Dissertation;

This thesis extends and refines a growing body of literature that has highlighted the impact of Catholic social principles on the development of welfare state provision. It suggests that Catholic social teaching is intent on preserving the role of the traditional family, and keeping power out of the hands of the state. Much of this literature, however, is concerned with European experience (Esping-Andersen, 1990; Castles, 1993; van Kersbergen, 1995). More recently Smyth (2003) has augmented this research through an examination of the influence of Catholic social thought on Australian welfare policy. He concludes that the Australian Church, at least up to the 1970s, preferred a �welfare society� over a �welfare state�, an outlook shared by the wider Australian community. Following the lead of Smyth, this thesis extends the insights of the European research through an examination of Catholic Church resistance to ALP proposals to introduce national health schemes in the 1940s and the 1970s. These appeared to satisfy the Church�s commitment to the poorest and most marginalised groups in the community. Why, then, did the Australian Church resist the proposals? The thesis concludes that there are at least two possible ways of interpreting Catholic social teaching � a preconciliar interpretation that minimises the role of the state, and a postconciliar interpretation that allows for an active, albeit limited, state. The adoption of either is informed by socio-political factors. The thesis, then, concludes that the response of the Church in the 1940s and the 1970s was conditioned by socio-political and historical factors that inclined the Australian Catholic Church towards a conservative view of welfare.

Thesis advisor: Daniel J. Daily / Thesis advisor: James Keenan / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.