Many of us seem to be polarized by ideology and demagoguery. Catholics, and others in the Judeo-Christian tradition often subvert the faith to political ideas. Whether on social media or in certain company, these days one cannot say that the human person is created as male and female without being accused of perpetuating a false gospel of gender binaries. Nor can one say “we should feed the hungry and care for the poor” without being labelled a “socialist / communist / liberal / progressive.”
“The false divide between orthodox faith and social-justice work is pernicious, a sign of dysfunction in our politics” Stephen White, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, writes in his just released book, Red, White, Blue, and Catholic. But White is not despairing; he believes we can begin even now to be stronger, well formed citizens of this great country. This is the driving force behind his book: A call to citizenship informed by a strong Catholic faith.
A quick read, Red, White, Blue, and Catholic is a six-chapter primer on Christian citizenship based on Catholic social teaching, the components of which are: human dignity, subsidiarity, solidarity, and the common good. Contra to popular assumptions, Catholic social doctrine is not socialism. Stephen White makes this clear; he does a superb job grounding the Church's social teaching in the Gospel.
Read the rest of the book review at The Kindling