essay, which could be argued for, but for which, in the interests of time, no argument shall be given. In using the shop term "Catholic Social Teaching" (or Modern Catholic Social Teaching/Doctrine2), the essay presumes that most, though not all, of the materials drawn upon in teaching a corresponding course will be from the Church's "social documents"-chiefly papal encyclicals-published over the past 130 years.3 Limiting the essay in this way implies nothing about the value of other courses taught in Catholic social ethics, with titles such as "Faith and Justice," "Catholic Social Morality," "Traditions of Social Justice," and the like. It merely specifies a characteristic that I think should be part of seminary courses.

Five Measures Theological

Conceptually, CST is thoroughly theological and so it should be taught that way. Christian social ethics must never be detached conceptually from the truths of faith, especially its eschatological truths. Although CST inquires into and practically applies the principles of justice and the common good, and these principles can be derived from philosophical reflection on the requisites of human flourishing, nevertheless, Christian revelation teaches us truths about the nature of the universe, the human condition and possibilities for choice that are inaccessible to natural reason and yet are necessary for rightly assessing social questions and proposing adequate solutions. It teaches that the "social order" in which all participate and upon which CST reflects is at once created, fallen, and redeemed. Humans are made "little less than God" (Ps 8:5); but they "all have sinned and fall short of God's glory" (Rom 3:23); and even after baptism, they do not do the good they want but the evil they do not want (see Rom 7:19); and yet this present suffering "is preparing for [them] an eternal

2 Some texts distinguish between the terms "Catholic Social Doctrine" and "Catholic Social Teaching"-such as Congregation for Catholic Education [CCE], Guidelines for the Study and Teaching of the Church's Social Doctrine in the Formation of Priests (1988; English trans. United States Catholic Conference, now United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB])-the former laying stress on the theoretical aspects, the latter on the historical and practical aspects. The terms are used here synonymously. 3 "The social teaching of the Church must be presented in its entirety with appropriate principles of reflection, criteria for judgment, and norms for action. The systematic study of the social encyclicals of the popes is especially recommended" (USCCB, Program of Priestly Formation [PPF], 5th ed. [Washington, DC: USCCB, 2006], §208).

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How Should Catholic Social Teaching Be Taught to Seminarians?

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