Description (Amazon.com): This classic work is a philosophical, historical, and religious look at the relationship between Catholic and Protestant religious doctrine and both the historical and ideological growth of capitalism. Starting with a definition of capitalism, Fanfani examines how that definition squares with Catholic and Protestant teaching. He then looks at the historical development of the capitalistic mindset or mentality, and examines the growth of the mindset historically in light of both the Protestant and Catholic doctrine on economic life.

An excerpt from the Publisher's Preface courtesy of IHS Press.

Description (Amazon.com): Do Christianity and modern liberal democracy share a common moral vision, or are they opposed and even hostile to each other? In "Christian Faith and Modern Democracy", Robert Kraynak challenges the commonly accepted view that Christianity is inherently compatible with modern democratic society. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Kraynak argues that there is no necessary connection between Christianity and any form of government and that, in many important respects, Christianity is weakened by its close alliance with contemporary versions of democracy and human rights.

Reviews

Review, by Douglas A. Ollivant. Markets & Morality Volume 6, Number 1 Spring 2003.
Review BrothersJudd.com. Feb. 11, 2002.
Review by Ken Masugi. Religion & Liberty. Nov-Dec 2001. The Acton Institute.
Governing by God, by Fr. Robert F. Drinan. America Vol. 185 No. 21, December 24, 2001.
Review by Damon Linker. First Things 117 (November 2001): 56-61.
Monarchy, Anyone?, by Patrick J. Deneen. Commonweal, Oct 26, 2001.

Reviews

Catholic + American = ?, by Allen Guelzo. Christianity Today March/April 2004.
Catholics, Protestants, and the Meanings of Freedom, by Richard J. Neuhaus. First Things 135 (August/September 2003).
A Church Aloof or Engaged?, by Thomas Murphy, S.J. America Vol. 189, No. 2. July 21, 2003.
Catholicism and American Freedom: "The Odd Couple", by Neil Coughlan. Commonweal May 9, 2003 / Volume CXXX, Number 9.

Reviews

A Contested Legacy, by James Finn. First Things 30 (February 1993): 54-57.

Reviews

Brief Review, by William Murchison. National Review. April 19, 1999.
Review, by Gary Maceoin. National Catholic Reporter Feb. 26, 1999.

Reviews

The Naked Public Square Now. Twenty years after its publication, various authors (Stanley Hauerwaus, Harvey Cox, Jeane Bethke Elshtain, et al.) reflect on the influence of the book and contemporary problems raised by its argument, with a response by Father Neuhaus. First Things 147 (November 2004): 11-27.

Reviews & Related Articles

The Persistence of the Catholic Moment, by Richard J. Neuhaus. First Things 130 (February 2003): 26-30.

Description (Amazon.com): "In one key respect, the way the story of the United States has been told for the past one hundred years is wrong," writes Michael Novak. "To read most philosophers and historians of the American polity today is to learn that America is an historical embodiment of secular philosophy, the Enlightenment." Nothing could be further from the truth, says Novak, who sets out to demonstrate just how important religious faith was to the founders.

Reviews

Founding Faith, by Lucas E. Morel. Religion & Liberty July-August 2002. The Acton Institute.
A Republic on the Rise, With Powerful Minds and Earnest Prayers, by Lee Bockhorn. The Wall Street Journal. February 4, 2002
The Eagle's Flight. Review by Charles R. Kesler. National Review. April 8, 2002.
One nation, including God, by Wilson Carey McWilliams. CommonWeal. Feb. 22, 2002.

Reviews

The Novak Achievement, by Richard J. Neuhaus. First Things 36 (October 1993).

[From the author:] This work seeks to bridge the gap between liberalism and the Catholic notion of the "common good" by showing that the liberal tradition includes a vision of the common good, a vision both historically original and crucial to its defense of the human person. Too often, the liberal tradition is discussed wholly in terms of the individual, the rational economic agent, self-interest, and something like the utilitarian calculus. On the other side, too often the classical view of the common good is presented as though it did not respect the freedom of the human person, the rights of the individual, and the unique properties of the many different spheres through which the common good is cumulatively realized. Yet the liberal tradition has in fact greatly expanded and enriched the concept of the common good. And the Catholic tradition - through its distinctive concepts of the person, will, self-deception, virtue, practical wisdom, "the dark night of the soul," and insight itself - has thickened and enriched our under-standing of the individual. On matters of institutional realism, the liberal tradition has made discoveries that the Catholic tradition sorely needs; reciprocally, regarding certain philosophical-theological conceptions, the Catholic tradition has achieved some insights (e.g., into the nature of the human person, the human community, and mediating institutions) in which many in the liberal intellectual tradition are now expressing interest. The two traditions need each other, each being weaker where the other is stronger.

Among the most influential and controversial developments in twentieth-century American social thought has been the rise of the Catholic neoconservatives, particularly Michael Novak, Richard John Neuhaus, and George Weigel. This important book presents a systematic critique of Catholic neoconservatism using the work of Yves Simon as a theoretical and practical lens of analysis. Rourke demonstrates how Simon, whose works represent the Aristotelian-Thomistic roots of Catholic social thought, and the Catholic neoconservatives address many of the same issues, including democratic government, freedom, practical wisdom, wealth, work, culture, and virtue. Rourke argues, however, that the neoconservative approach to these concepts lacks essential elements of the Thomist tradition, fails to overcome the inadequacies of liberalism and therefore is an inadequate expression of Catholic social thought for our time.

Reviews

Neo-Conservatism: New Insights into Catholic Social Teaching, or just Old Liberalism in new Garments?, a critical assessment by Russell Sparkes.
"Briefly Noted". First Things 76 (October 1997).

Thomist's influence upon the development of Catholicism is difficult to overestimate - but how secure is its grip on the challenges that face contemprary society? Culture and the Thomist Tradition Rexamines the crisis of Thomism today as thrown into relief by Vatican II, the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. Following the Church's declarations on culture in the document Gaudium et spes - the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World - it was widely presumed that a mandate hade been given for transposing ecclesiastical culture into the idioms of modernity. But, says Tracey Rowland, such an understanding is not only based on a facile reading of the Conciliar documents, but is flawed by Thomism's own failure to demonstrate a workable theology of culture that might guide the Church through such transpositions.

Reviews

The Culture We Evangelize, by Bernhard Blankenhorn, O.P. O Lumen No. 1 - Publication of the Students of the Western Dominican Province.
Review by Fr Peter Joseph STD. AD2000 Vol 16 No 5 (June 2003), p. 17.
Thomism Unwigged, by Douglas A. Ollivant. First Things 143 (May 2004): 47-49.

Reviews

An Integrated Catholic Worldview, by Mitchell Kalpakgian, Ph.D. Homiletic & Pastoral Review. March 1998.
"Shindler's Complaint", by Richard John Neuhaus. First Things 74, June-July 1997.
Missing Persion, by Joseph A. Komonchak. Commonweal Sept. 12, 1997.
Review by Christophe Potworowski. The Thomist 1997.

Balthasar's Legacy: A Sketch of David L. Schindler's Heart of the World, Center of the Church, by Stephen Joel Garver.

Reviews:

Review by Bob Cheeks. IntellectualConservative.com. March 15, 2004.
The Market, the Needy, and the Argument, by Megan Malony. Religion & Liberty Vol. 14, No. 1. Jan/Feb 2004.
Grayish Markets, by John William Coleman. Touchstone Magazine, 2004.

• Cato Book Forum, discussion of the book featuring Doug Bandow, Cato Institute; David Schindler, John Paul II Institute; and contributors Michael Novak, American Enterprise Institute; and Daniel T. Griswold, Cato Institute. September 10, 2003.
  

Reviews

In Search of a "Catholic Moment" in U.S. History, by Mary Ann Kreitzer. The Truth Vol. 8 No. 4 Winter 2003/2004.
Review by Ken Whitehead. L'Osservatore Romano, (June 26-28, 2000).
The Self-Inflicted Wounds of American Catholicism, review by James Likoudis. Catholics United for the Faith. St. Catherine Review Sept./Oct. 2000.
Review by James Bemis. CatholicExchange.com. July 4, 2002.
The Church That Failed, by Mark Brumley. Catholic Faith March/April 2001.
Briefly Noted, First Things 104 (June/July 2000): 76-79.

• Capitalism and Catholicism, by Thomas E. Woods, Jr. LewRockwell.com. Feb. 14, 2005.