An Introduction to Catholic Economics: General Welfare, Competing Perspectives, and Human Nature

Abstract

Catholic economics is the interdisciplinary pursuit of joining Church teaching with economic science. The Church and its leaders, the Pope and Bishops, are primarily concerned with the salvation of souls and their general welfare, or the common good, and as such govern and guide the faithful to that end. Catholic scholars seeking to apply those teachings are free to and do debate the merits of particular policies or institutions. Catholic economists also question particular economic theories that contrast with Church teaching, especially with regard to human nature. This article examines these core elements of the Catholic Economics school of thought. JEL Classifications: A12, I31, Z12