Catholic Social Teaching
2026 Book Recommendations
Andreas Widmer
St. John Paul II
Dr. Andrew Abela
F. Russell Hittinger
Each year, the distinguished faculty of our joint Catholic University of America & CAPP-USA Certificate Program in Catholic Social Teaching curate a thoughtful collection of books and readings aligned with their course topics.
Compiled by Natalie Dengler, Co-Director of the Program at CAPP, we are privileged to share these carefully selected recommendations with you.
Happy Reading!
The Threefold Cornerstone: Human Dignity
Book recommendations from Dr. Michael Gorman, Ordinary Professor, School of Philosophy and Father Kurt Pritzl, O.P. Chair in Philosophy at Catholic University of America.
On the Dignity of Society: Catholic Social Teaching and Natural Law by F. Russell Hittinger.
City of God by St. Augustine.
Encountering Artificial Intelligence: Ethical and Anthropological Investigations by A.I. Research Group for the Centre for Digital Culture Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See.
The Threefold Cornerstone: Solidarity
Book recommendations from Dr. Peter Kilpatrick, President of the Catholic University of America.
Person Means Relation by David Walsh. David Walsh offers a moving reflection on personhood, beginning from the connection between person and relation established in the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla. Drawing from his own pastoral experience as a priest and bishop before he became Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla has produced a remarkably eloquent and resourceful defense of Catholic tradition in the sphere of family life and sexual morality.
The Office and Authority of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine by Robert F. Prevost
Book recommendations from Dr. Peter Kilpatrick, President of the Catholic University of America.
Person Means Relation by David Walsh. David Walsh offers a moving reflection on personhood, beginning from the connection between person and relation established in the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla. Drawing from his own pastoral experience as a priest and bishop before he became Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla has produced a remarkably eloquent and resourceful defense of Catholic tradition in the sphere of family life and sexual morality.
The Office and Authority of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine by Robert F. Prevost
The Threefold Cornerstone: Subsidiarity
Book recommendations from Brian Corbin, Executive Vice President of Catholic Charities USA.
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam. Once we bowled in leagues, usually after work—but no longer. This seemingly small phenomenon symbolizes a significant social change that Robert Putnam has identified in this brilliant volume, which The Economist hailed as “a prodigious achievement.”
Social Capital Primer by Robert Putnam.
Looking Back to Look Forward In conversation with John McKnight about the heritage of ABCD and its place in the world today. By Cormac Russell.
Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time by Seth D. Kaplan
The History of CST
Book recommendations from Dr. Michael Pakaluk, Ordinary Professor, Busch School of Business at Catholic University of America.
Principles of Political Economy by Fr. Matteo Liberatore.
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
The Republic by Plato.
Aristotle’s “Politics”: Second Edition by Aristotle.
The Second Treatise of Civil Government by John Locke.
The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God by George Weigel.
Book recommendations from Dr. Michael Pakaluk, Ordinary Professor, Busch School of Business at Catholic University of America.
Principles of Political Economy by Fr. Mattheo Liberatore.
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
The Republic by Plato.
Aristotle’s “Politics”: Second Edition by Aristotle.
The Second Treatise of Civil Government by John Locke.
The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God by George Weigel.
Catholic Social Teaching and the Developing World
Book recommendations from Dr. Henry Schwalbenberg, Associate Professor of Economics at Fordham University and the Director of the Graduate Program in International Political Economy and Development (IPED).
Integral Humanism: Temporal and Spiritual Problems of a New Christendom by Jacques Maritain.
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church by the Pontifical Council For Justice And Peace.
The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It by Paul Collier.
World Food Report by Christopher Barrett.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Proust and the Squid The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Dr. Maryanne Wolf, expert in cognitive neuroscience and education, Professor-in-residence and Dean of the Center for Dyslexia Diverse Learners and Social Justice, UCLA, member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
Deaths of Despair by Sir Angus Deaton.
Catholic Social Teaching and Religious Freedom
Book recommendations and pivotal District and Supreme Court cases from Dr. William Saunders, Esq., Director of The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights.
Dignitatis Humanae by Pope St. Paul VI.
Mahmoud et al. v. Taylor et al.
Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc., et al. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission et al.
Book recommendations and pivotal District and Supreme Court cases from Dr. William Saunders, Esq., Director of The Catholic University of America’s Center for Human Rights.
Dignitatis Humanae by Pope St. Paul VI.
Mahmoud et al. v. Taylor et al.
Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc., et al. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission et al.
The Role of the State
Book recommendations from Dr. V. Bradley Lewis, Dean and Associate Professor, School of Philosophy at Catholic University of America.
City of God by St. Augustine.
The Republic by Plato.
Aristotle’s “Politics”: Second Edition by Aristotle.
The Preparation for the Gospel by Eusebius of Caesarea.
De re publica (On the Republic) by Cicero.
On the Laws (De Legibus) by Cicero.
De officiis (On Duties) by Cicero. His most important work of ethics which exercised particular influence on subsequent Western moral and political thought.
Treatise on Law: The Complete Text by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.
1648 Peace of Westphalia a series of treaties that ended the Thirty Years’ War in Europe. It established the principle of state sovereignty laying the groundwork for the modern nation-state system and allowed rulers to choose the religion of their territory.
A Theoretical Treatise on Natural Law Resting on Fact by Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio. His principal work in five volumes, Saggio teoretico di dritto naturale appoggiato sul fatto (A Theoretical Treatiseon Natural Law Resting on Fact).
Development of Scholastic Natural-Law Thought as a Science of Society and Politics by Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio.
Papal Documents
Syllabus of Errors by Pope B. Pius IX.
Aeterni Patris by Pope Leo XIII.
Diuturnum by Pope Leo XIII.
Immortale Dei by Pope Leo XIII.
Magni Nobis by Pope Leo XIII.
Quadragesimo Anno by Pope Pius XI.
Mit brennender Sorge by Pope Pius XI.
Divini Redemptoris by Pope Pius XI.
Firmissimam Constantiam by Pope Pius XI.
Humani generis unitas At the time of his death, Pius XI was reviewing an early version of an additional encyclical, Humani generis unitas (On the Unity of the Human Race), on the Church, anti-Semitism, racism and persecution of Jews.
Summi Pontificatus by Pope Pius XII.
Dignitatis Humanae by Pope St. Paul VI.
Democracy
Book recommendations from Dr. V. Bradley Lewis, Dean and Associate Professor, School of Philosophy at Catholic University of America.
Libertas by Pope Leo XIII.
Graves de Communi re by Pope Leo XIII.
Immortale Dei by Pope Leo XIII.
Quas Primas by Pope Pius XI.
Pacem in Terris by Pope St. John XXIII.
1944 Christmas Message by Pope Pius XII.
Veritatis Splendor by Pope St. John Paul II.
Evangelium Vitae by Pope St. John Paul II.
Treatise on Law: The Complete Text by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Christianity and Democracy, and The Rights of Man and Natural Law by Jacques Maritain.
Man and the State by Jacques Maritain.
Philosophy of Democratic Government (Charles R. Walgreen Foundation Lectures) by Yves R. Simon.
Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation by Amartya Sen.
Book recommendations from Dr. V. Bradley Lewis, Dean and Associate Professor, School of Philosophy at Catholic University of America.
Libertas by Pope Leo XIII.
Graves de Communi re by Pope Leo XIII.
Immortale Dei by Pope Leo XIII.
Quas Primas by Pope Pius XI.
Pacem in Terris by Pope St. John XXIII.
1944 Christmas Message by Pope Pius XII.
Veritatis Splendor by Pope St. John Paul II.
Evangelium Vitae by Pope St. John Paul II.
Treatise on Law: The Complete Text by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Christianity and Democracy, and The Rights of Man and Natural Law by Jacques Maritain.
Man and the State by Jacques Maritain.
Philosophy of Democratic Government (Charles R. Walgreen Foundation Lectures) by Yves R. Simon.
Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation by Amartya Sen.
Alienation
Book recommendations from Dr. Michael Gorman, Ordinary Professor, School of Philosophy and Father Kurt Pritzl, O.P. Chair in Philosophy at Catholic University of America.
Participation or Alienation by Karol Wojtyla.
The Idea of a University by Bl. John Henry Newman. Newman assembles a series of his key discourses and lectures exploring the purpose and mission of Catholic liberal education, the primacy of theology and its relation to other disciplines, classical studies, modern science, and intellectual rigor. The result is a profound and energetic exploration of the centrality of wisdom in academic culture and Christian life.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
Instruction on Certain Aspects of the “Theology of Liberation” by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Culture
Book recommendations from Dr. Robert Royal, President of the Faith & Reason Institute in Washington, D.C.
The Martyrs of the New Millennium by Dr. Robert Royal.
Culture and the Thomist Tradition: After Vatican II by Tracey Rowland.
We Hold These Truths: Catholic Reflections on the American Proposition by John Courtney Murray S.J.
Dignitatis Humanae by Pope St. Paul VI.
Enchiridion Symbolorum: A Compendium of Creeds, Definitions and Declarations of the Catholic Church by Heinrich Denzinger.
Book recommendations from Dr. Robert Royal, President of the Faith & Reason Institute in Washington, D.C.
The Martyrs of the New Millennium by Dr. Robert Royal.
Culture and the Thomist Tradition: After Vatican II by Tracey Rowland.
We Hold These Truths: Catholic Reflections on the American Proposition by John Courtney Murray S.J.
Dignitatis Humanae by Pope St. Paul VI.
Enchiridion Symbolorum: A Compendium of Creeds, Definitions and Declarations of the Catholic Church by Heinrich Denzinger.
The Family
Book recommendations from Dr. Helen Alvare, Robert A. Levy Endowed Chair in Law and Liberty at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
Religious Freedom after the Sexual Revolution: A Catholic Guide by Dr. Helen Alvare.
Putting Children’s Interests First in US Family Law and Policy: With Power Comes Responsibility by Dr. Helen Alvare.
Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves by Dr. Helen Alvare.
The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind by Melissa S. Kearney.
Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010 by Charles Murray.
Faithful For Life: A Moral Reflection by the USCCB.
Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization by Brad Wilcox.
Liquid Modernity by Zygmunt Bauman.
Status vs. Conduct in Non-Discrimination Laws by Villanova Law Review.
Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage by Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas.
Triumphs of Experience: The Men of the Harvard Grant Study by George E. Vaillant.
The Negro Family: The Case for National Action
Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy by Mark Regnerus.
Marriage and Caste in America: Separate and Unequal Families in a Post-Marital Age by Kay S. Hymowitz.
Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth Hardcover by Dr. Catherine Pakaluk.
Them Before Us: Why We Need a Global Children’s Rights Movement by Katy Faust and Stacy Manning.
From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality in Late Antiquity by Kyle Harper.
Soul Mates: Religion, Sex, Love, and Marriage among African Americans and Latinos by W. Bradford Wilcox and Nicholas H. Wolfinger.
Children of Divorce: Preliminary Report of a Ten-Year Follow-up of Older Children and Adolescents by Judith S. Wallerstein Ph.D.
The Religious Sense by Luigi Giussani.
At the Origin of the Christian Claim by Luigi Giussani.
Why the Church? by Luigi Giussani.
Morality: Memory and Desire by Luigi Giussani.
The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries by Rodney Stark.
The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory by Abigail Favale.
The Witness of Early Christian Women: Mothers of the Church by Mike Aquilina.
Papal Documents
Centesimus Annus by Pope St. John Paul II.
Evangelium Vitae by Pope St. John Paul II.
Deus Caritas Est by Pope Benedict XVI.
Caritas in Veritate by Pope Benedict XVI.
The Free Market Economy
Book recommendations from Dr. Andrew Abela, Dean and Ordinary Professor of Marketing, the Busch School of Business at Catholic University of America.
Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life by Dr. Andrew Abela.
A Catechism for Business: Tough Ethical Questions & Insights from Catholic Teaching (Second Edition) by Dr. Andrew V. Abela with Joesph E. Capizzi. The book’s easy-to-use question and answer approach invites quick reference for tough questions and serves as a basis for reflection and deeper study in the rich Catholic tradition of social doctrine.
Christian Social Witness and Teaching Volume 1 and 2 by Rodger Charles.
Centuries of Economic Endeavor: Parallel Paths in Japan and Europe and Their Contrast with the Third World by John P. Powelson.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear.
The Virtues, or The Examined Life (Handbooks of Catholic Theology) by Romanus Cessario.
Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII.
Quadragesimo Anno by Pope Pius XI.
Centesimus Annus by Pope St. John Paul II.
Laborem Exercens by Pope St. John Paul II.
Book recommendations from Dr. Andrew Abela, Dean and Ordinary Professor of Marketing, the Busch School of Business at Catholic University of America.
Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life by Dr. Andrew Abela.
A Catechism for Business: Tough Ethical Questions & Insights from Catholic Teaching (Second Edition) by Dr. Andrew V Abela with Joesph E Capizzi. The book’s easy-to-use question and answer approach invites quick reference for tough questions and serves as a basis for reflection and deeper study in the rich Catholic tradition of social doctrine.
Christian Social Witness and Teaching Volume 1 and 2 by Rodger Charles.
Centuries of Economic Endeavor: Parallel Paths in Japan and Europe and Their Contrast with the Third World by John P. Powelson.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear.
The Virtues, or The Examined Life (Handbooks of Catholic Theology) by Romanus Cessario.
Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII.
Quadragesimo Anno by Pope Pius XI.
Centesimus Annus by Pope St. John Paul II.
Laborem Exercens by Pope St. John Paul II.
Entrepreneurship
Book recommendations from Andreas Widmer, Director of the Arthur & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor of Practice, the Busch School of Business at Catholic University of America.
The Pope & The CEO: John Paul II’s Leadership Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard by Andreas Widmer.
The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship: Creating Enduring Value by Andreas Widmer.
Consumerism
Book recommendations from Dr. Christine Firer Hinze, Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University.
A Living Wage by John A. Ryan and Richard T. Ely
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
Following Christ in a Consumer Society: The Spirituality of Cultural Resistance by John F Kavanaugh.
Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age by Felicia Wu Song.
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.
Sabbath as Resistance, New Edition with Study Guide: Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann.
Getting Work Right: Labor and Leisure in a Fragmented World (Living Faith) by Michael Naughton.
Book recommendations from Dr. Christine Firer Hinze, Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University.
A Living Wage by John A. Ryan and Richard T. Ely
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
Following Christ in a Consumer Society: The Spirituality of Cultural Resistance by John F Kavanaugh.
Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age by Felicia Wu Song.
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.
Sabbath as Resistance, New Edition with Study Guide: Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann.
Getting Work Right: Labor and Leisure in a Fragmented World (Living Faith) by Michael Naughton.
