JoMaCC Journal of Modern and Contemporary Christianity

Journal | JoMaCC
Monographic journal issue | 2 | 2 | 2023
Research Article | Neoconservatives’ Reading of Catholic Social Teaching

Neoconservatives’ Reading of Catholic Social Teaching

The political debate over the encyclical Centesimus Annus

Abstract

Pope John Paul II’s 1991 publication of the encyclical Centesimus Annus sparked a lively debate that lasted for years. Neoconservative Catholics promptly showed great enthusiasm for the encyclical, which they saw as the Church finally embracing economic liberalism. On the other hand, progressive Catholics rejected the neoconservative analysis and put an entirely different interpretation on the encyclical. This article examines some of the main neocon interpretations of John Paul II’s social thinking, primarily focusing on the encyclical Centesimus Annus. We consider the analyses of Michael Novak and Richard Neuhaus, who show partisan bias in their interpretation of Centesimus Annus. John Paul II’s encyclical soon became a battlefield on which the conflict between neoconservative and progressive Catholics was played out, and a landmark in the debate on Catholic social teaching and its various interpretations.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Sept. 8, 2022 | Accepted: April 2, 2023 | Published Oct. 31, 2023 | Language: en

Keywords Catholic Social TeachingRichard NeuhausUnited StatesNeoconservative CatholicsJohn Paul IIMichael Novak


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