The paper attempts to provide a basis for exploring the continued relevance of Catholic social teaching to business ethics, byinterpreting the historic development of a Catholic work ethic and the traditions of Catholic social teaching in light of contemporary discussions of economic globalization, notably those of Robert Reich and Peter Drucker. The paper argues that the Catholic work ethic and the Church’s tradition of social teaching has evolved dynamically in response to the structural changes involved in the history of modern (...) economic development, and thus is well poised to speak to the ethical challenges implicit in the advent of a knowledge-based society. In order to test this thesis, the author sketches an approach to the ethical challenge of corporate downsizing that he believes illustrates the continued relevance of Catholic social teaching to business ethics. (shrink)

v. 1. Religion and the powers of the common life -- v. 2. The spirit and the modern authorities -- v. 3. Christ and the dominions of civilization -- v. 4. Globalization and grace.

Theological statements and sermons which attempt to spell out contemporary economic applications of biblical texts all too often strike those who study modern economic institutions or policies as journalistic, ideological, or simply misinformed.

The author considers the achievements of the Journal of Religious Ethics against a larger history of philosophical theology and comparative religious studies, suggesting the wisdom of modesty and raising the possibility that contemporary academic inquiry in religious ethics is actually less rich and less supple than is suggested in Green's review. Of particular concern are unproductive nondialogues between philosophical secularists and confessional "narrativists," present tendencies toward anti-institutional ab- straction, the contemporary overvaluation of suspicion and critique, and a pervasive anti theological (...) bias. (shrink)