When Love is Not Enough: A Theo-ethic of Justice

Catholic Press Association Award Winner

The Gospel call to do justice has inspired Christians to practice justice throughout the centuries. Yet popular usage associates justice with the legal system, due process, or with fair treatment in ways that are not helpful to Christian practitioners and ministers of justice. When Love Is Not Enoughaddresses the practice of justice at the dawn of the new millennium through the lens of eight dilemmas that confront Christians in their daily efforts to do justice.

After an initial description and analysis of these eight specific dilemmas that impact the Christian understanding and practice of justice, When Love Is Not Enough draws on the experience of practitioners of justice; the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures; Catholic Social Teachings; and contemporary theories of justice to develop a comprehensive approach to justice based on faith.

Chapter one introduces the dilemmas in contemporary justice that reflect a theological, eschatological, sacramental, and ethical worldview. Chapter two traces the theological framework of justice through the experience of ministers and practitioners of justice. Chapter three looks at the theological framework of justice in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, while chapter four examines the theological framework of justice in Catholic Social Teachings. Chapter five draws upon contemporary and classical theories of justice, showing justice as a historically evolving practice. Chapter six examines the anthropological, theological, and sacramental contexts for justice as participation in the human community. Chapter seven outlines how justice as participation in the human community is built around seven important points. The final chapter illustrates how justice as participation can sort out some just practices that respond to the eight initial dilemmas.

Chapters are Contemporary Dilemmas of Justice," *Justice and its Theological Framework in the Experience of Ministers and Practitioners of Justice, - *Justice and its Theological Framework in the Hebrew and in the Christian Scriptures, - *Justice and its Theological Framework in Catholic Social Teachings, - *Contemporary, Classic Theories of Justice, - *The Contexts of Justice as Participation in the Human Community, - *Justice as Participation in the Human Community, - and *The Practice of Justice as Participation in the Human Community. -

Mary Elsbernd, OSF, STD, is associate professor of pastoral studies in social ethics at Loyola University, Chicago. She is also the director of the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, Chicago.

Fr. Reimund Bieringer, STD, is associate professor of New Testament exegesis and biblical Greek at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

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