Catholicism and the Struggle for Human Dignity: A Global Survey

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

A total of approximately 1.4 billion Catholics are found in virtually every country in the world. Since the 1960s their global religious community, the Roman Catholic Church, has embraced the mission of advancing integral human development as a comprehensive approach to Catholicism's commitment to upholding the God-given dignity of every person, regardless of race, religion, creed or any other marker of identity. What difference do Catholics make in a world beset by growing inequality, human rights violations, poverty, war, and the environmental and refugee crises? Focusing on the United States, Brazil, the Philippines, Uganda and Italy, this course examines the impact of Catholics and the Church in these countries, with an emphasis on the modern history and contemporary social, political, cultural and interreligious dynamics of each. Students will be expected to master the comparative narratives of regions and countries where Catholics might be expected to make a difference, and to focus on one country in depth.