• Principles of Social Theology

    Celtic Principles for Envisioning the New Order of Love

Sources & Stances

  • Modern Christian social thought draws from a variety of sources, all rooted in Scripture’s foundational moral vision centered on love, justice, and care for the marginalized.

    While Catholic social teaching has systematically developed this tradition through pivotal encyclicals like Rerum Novarum and Gaudium et Spes, social theology finds resonance also in other Christian and cultural contexts, including the rich heritage of Celtic social thought.

    Celtic Christianity emphasizes communal responsibility, hospitality, stewardship of creation, and interconnectedness, offering a relational and holistic vision of social life deeply grounded in kinship and sacred reciprocity.

    Within contemporary theology, Radical Orthodoxy stands out as a robust critique of secular modernity, reclaiming classical Christian metaphysics to integrate theology with social, political, and cultural life.

    Figures like John Milbank and colleagues emphasize participation—the view that all creation participates in God’s being—and reject the modern divide between the sacred and secular. Radical Orthodoxy sees theology not as separate from but as shaping every aspect of human existence, calling for a restored vision of social relations grounded in divine truth, communal worship, and justice. Its social vision is both deeply spiritual and politically engaged, envisioning a transformed society marked by solidarity and the common good.

    Together, Scripture’s call to justice, Celtic communal ethic, and Radical Orthodoxy’s theological social vision form a rich, dynamic framework for understanding Christian social theology beyond denominational confines. This approach invites active engagement in creating communities and societies that reflect divine love, dignity, and holistic interconnectedness.

    For further exploration, see these resources on Radical Orthodoxy, Celtic Christianity, and the tradition of Christian social teaching.

  • The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) is the foundation of Christian social thought, shaping its vision of justice and human relationships. 

    This principle, rooted in Christ’s teaching, calls for active care for others, recognizing their equal dignity as God’s creation. Gaudium et Spes (1965) frames it as the basis for social ethics, urging actions that prioritize the well-being of others. 

    Loving one’s neighbor drives CST’s commitment to the poor, marginalized, and oppressed. Encyclicals reflect this. Rerum Novarum (1891) applied it to fair labor conditions, ensuring the dignity of workers. 

    Caritas in Veritate (2009) linked neighborly love to global solidarity, addressing issues of inequality. Laudato Si’ (2015) extended it to environmental care, linking love for others to planetary stewardship. 

    This love rejects selfishness or indifference, fostering community through participation and subsidiarity. It demands respect for life, rights, and creation, making CST a practical expression of charity. 

    By grounding all principles—dignity, solidarity, common good—in this command, CST ensures that love remains the heart of a just society, guiding actions toward human flourishing.

  • The vision articulated in Gaudium et Spes (1965) of the Church as a sign and instrument of God’s love, promoting human dignity and the common good, finds rich resonance within the broader Christian tradition and is deepened through insights from Celtic spirituality. This view positions faith communities as partners with humanity, responding to modern challenges of poverty, injustice, and conflict—not through domination but through relational dialogue grounded in mutual respect and hope.

    Celtic Christianity adds distinctive social theology rooted in hospitality, community, and stewardship of creation, emphasizing interconnectedness and kinship as foundations for justice and peace. This tradition envisions society as an extended family where everyone belongs, and caring for the marginalized is a collective duty.

    The Celtic sacramental worldview sees the sacred in all aspects of life—nature, work, relationships—integrating spirituality into daily social realities and fostering a holistic commitment to social renewal.

    Radical Orthodoxy further enriches this tapestry by challenging secular assumptions and recovering theology as the foundational lens for understanding culture, politics, and economics.

    Radical Orthodoxy critiques the fragmentation of modernity and calls for a reintegration of Christian metaphysics into every aspect of life. It envisions social transformation through participation in divine life, emphasizing worship, truth, and communal responsibility as catalysts for building just and flourishing societies.

    Together, these perspectives—dynamic faith engagement, Celtic communal ethics, and Radical Orthodoxy’s theological social critique—offer a powerful framework. They call for active, inclusive participation in building societies marked by justice, solidarity, and care, reflecting a lived commitment to divine love manifest in community and culture.

  • Liberalism, broadly understood, is a social philosophy that champions individual freedom, equality, and rights, often emphasizing personal autonomy and secular governance. 

    Christian social thought (CST) engages liberalism ambivalently, affirming its focus on human dignity while critiquing its excesses. 

    CST can be seen as a theological liberalism rooted in the Christian belief that each person, made in God’s image, possesses inherent worth. 

    Gaudium et Spes (1965) endorses freedoms such as conscience and speech, aligning with liberal values while grounding them in divine truth, rather than mere secular autonomy. 

    John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus (1991) supports rights-based systems but warns against liberalism’s drift into relativism or consumerism, which can erode solidarity.

    CST holds that liberalism would not have emerged without Christianity’s influence. The Gospel’s emphasis on universal dignity—seen in Jesus’ care for the marginalized—planted seeds for equality and justice.

    Medieval Christian thought, through figures such as Aquinas, shaped notions of natural law, which in turn informed modern rights. Caritas in Veritate (2009) suggests that Christianity’s moral vision underpins liberal ideals. 

  • Christian social thought has embraced democracy as the most effective system for securing the common good, a stance that has evolved from historical caution to firm support. 

    Democracy aligns with CST’s emphasis on participation, enabling people to shape their societies through voting and civic engagement. 

    Gaudium et Spes (1965) praises democratic systems for respecting human dignity and fostering shared responsibility. John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus (1991) further endorses democracy, noting its capacity to protect rights and promote justice when grounded in moral truth.

    Initially skeptical of democracy’s potential for mob rule or secularism, the Church shifted post-Vatican II, recognizing its alignment with the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. 

    Democracy empowers communities to address local needs, as Mater et Magistra (1961) implies, while ensuring that the marginalized have a voice, in accordance with the preferential option for the poor. CST stresses that authentic democracy requires virtue and accountability to avoid corruption or populism. 

    By safeguarding freedom and inclusion, democracy serves the common good, reflecting CST’s vision of a society where all flourish through active, principled participation.

  • Christian social thought cautiously endorses market economies, provided they operate under the rule of law and are grounded in strong moral foundations. 

    With their capacity for innovation and efficiency, markets can serve human needs, as John Paul II noted in Centesimus Annus (1991), praising their ability to generate wealth and opportunity. CST recognizes that when guided by justice, free markets align with human dignity by fostering creativity and participation, as seen in Rerum Novarum’s (1891) defense of private property.

    However, CST insists markets must be tempered by law and ethics to prevent exploitation. Caritas in Veritate (2009) warns that unchecked markets can widen inequality or prioritize profit over people. 

    The rule of law ensures fair competition and protects workers, while moral foundations—rooted in solidarity and the common good—curb greed and consumerism. 

    Laudato Si’ (2015) adds that markets should respect ecological limits. CST approves market systems that uphold the universal destination of goods and prioritize human flourishing over material gain, ensuring economic freedom serves all, especially the marginalized, within a framework of justice and responsibility.

Personalism & Human Dignity

  • Personalism posits that affirming human dignity forms the bedrock of both ethics and is the judge of culture, anchoring moral reasoning and societal structures in the recognition of each person’s intrinsic worth. 

    In this view, ethics begins with acknowledging that persons are ends in themselves, not tools for external goals. Thinkers like Emmanuel Mounier articulated this principle, rejecting economic, political, or social systems that subordinate individuals to abstract ideologies or collective utility. 

    Instead, ethical norms must safeguard a person’s freedom, relationality, and capacity for self-giving, fostering a moral framework in which justice and compassion prevail over overexploitation or indifference.

    Culture, too, should engage in this affirmation. Personalism argues that society flourishes when conditions are cultivated for people to thrive as unique, creative, and interconnected beings. 

    By prioritizing the person, culture becomes a space for meaning-making and mutual enrichment, resisting dehumanizing trends like consumerism or authoritarianism. 

    For personalists, ethics and culture are thus inseparable from dignity’s defense—without it, both devolve into mechanisms of control or shallow utility, undermining the human spirit they ought to elevate.

  • Personalism asserts that humans are ends in themselves, a principle prohibiting treating them as mere means to external ends. 

    This idea, central to the philosophy, draws from Immanuel Kant’s ethical framework but is enriched by personalist thinkers like Karol Wojtyła, who emphasize the person’s irreducible subjectivity and relational nature.

    Humans possess inherent dignity—rooted in their consciousness, freedom, and capacity for love—that elevates them beyond objects or instruments. To use a person as a tool for profit, power, or ideology violates this dignity, reducing a unique being to a functional role.

    This stance critiques practices like slavery, exploitation, or manipulative politics, where individuals are subordinated to systems or others’ gain. 

    Emmanuel Mounier argued that treating persons as means fragments both the individual and society, eroding the communal bonds essential to human flourishing. 

    Instead, personalism demands interactions that respect each person’s autonomy and worth, whether in labor, governance, or relationships. 

    For instance, a worker is not just a cog in an economic machine but a person deserving fair treatment and purpose. 

    By insisting humans are ends, personalism challenges utilitarian ethics and impersonal structures, advocating a world where every individual’s dignity shapes how they are valued and engaged, not their utility to someone else’s agenda.

  • Personalism positions human dignity as the foundational basis for human rights, asserting that rights derive from the inherent worth of each person rather than from social contracts, utility, or state concessions. 

    This view holds that because individuals are unique, relational, and self-aware, they possess an inviolable claim to conditions that uphold their flourishing. 

    Thinkers like Jacques Maritain, a key personalist influence on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, argued that dignity underpins rights such as life, liberty, and equality, ensuring they are not contingent on external validation but intrinsic to personhood.

    In this framework, human rights are not mere legal constructs but moral imperatives rooted in recognizing each person’s irreducible value. 

    For instance, the right to freedom of thought reflects a person’s capacity for self-determination. In contrast, the right to community acknowledges its relational nature, both flowing from dignity as personalism defines it. 

    This contrasts with views that ground rights in economic productivity or political expediency, which risk excluding the vulnerable. 

    Personalism insists that universal and inalienable dignity demands protection against oppression, poverty, or discrimination, making human rights a concrete expression of respect for the person. 

    Thus, it provides a robust philosophical anchor for rights, safeguarding them against erosion by impersonal or authoritarian forces.

  • Personalism asserts that love is the proper response to persons, reflecting their inherent dignity and relational essence. 

    Unlike utilitarian or transactional approaches, which value individuals for their utility, personalism views each person as an end in itself, worthy of unconditional regard. 

    This love arises in authentic encounters where persons meet as subjects, not objects—fostering mutual recognition and connection. 

    For personalists, love is not mere sentiment but an active affirmation of the other’s worth, expressed through respect, care, and self-giving.

    This principle shapes human interactions ethically and socially. Karol Wojtyła emphasized love as the fullest realization of the person’s capacity for freedom and communion, evident in acts of solidarity or sacrifice. 

    It counters indifference, exploitation, or domination, which degrade dignity by treating persons as means. In this sense, love becomes a moral imperative—whether in personal relationships, community life, or societal structures—demanding justice and compassion as practical expressions. 

    Personalism thus posits that to truly see the person is to respond with love. This stance honors their irreducible value and fulfills the human potential for meaningful bonds. 

    In a world prone to alienation, this response reorients ethics and culture toward the flourishing of all.

Principles of Social Theology

  • Human dignity is the cornerstone of Christian social thought (CST), asserting that every person possesses inherent worth as a creation of God. 

    This principle grounds CST’s opposition to human rights abuses, such as torture, trafficking, or discrimination, which violate the person’s sacred value. CST rejects any instrumentalization—treating humans as means to economic, political, or social ends. 

    For instance, Rerum Novarum condemned exploitative labor practices, while Gaudium et Spes from Vatican II denounced dehumanizing ideologies. 

    John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus further emphasized that reducing people to mere labor or consumers debases their God-given purpose. CST insists that dignity demands respect for life, freedom, and basic needs, regardless of status. 

    This stance challenges systems like unchecked capitalism or authoritarianism that prioritize profit or power over persons. 

    By placing dignity first, CST calls for societies to protect the vulnerable and ensure no one is used or discarded. This vision remains a moral bulwark against any force that diminishes the human person’s intrinsic value.

  • Christian social thought upholds the sanctity of human life as sacred, rooted in the belief that each person is created in the image of God. This principle, affirmed in Gaudium et Spes (1965), protects life from conception to natural death, opposing practices like abortion, euthanasia, or capital punishment that violate human dignity. 

    John Paul II's Evangelium Vitae (1995) calls for a “culture of life,” rejecting violence and exploitation that dehumanizes. Every person’s intrinsic worth demands respect, regardless of age, ability, or status, forming the basis for all social justice.

    This reverence extends to animals whose lives and dignity reflect God’s creation. Pope Francis’s Laudato Si' (2015) emphasizes responsible stewardship, noting the value of animals within the interconnected web of life. 

    While human dignity holds unique primacy, CST condemns cruelty or exploitation of animals, as seen in factory farming or environmental destruction. 

    By linking human and animal dignity, CST fosters a holistic ethic of respect for life across creation.

  • The common good, a core principle of Chistian social thought, refers to the conditions that enable all persons and communities to flourish. 

    It is not merely collective welfare but the shared social, economic, and cultural environment where individuals can fulfill their God-given potential. Gaudium et Spes defines it as the sum of social conditions that allow people to reach their full human potential. 

    This connects individual and collective flourishing, as one’s dignity is realized in relation to others. For example, access to education, healthcare, and work environments benefits both the person and society. 

    Rerum Novarum emphasized the importance of fair wages to support families, linking personal well-being to communal stability. John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus further tied the common good to moral economies, prioritizing human needs over profit. 

    The common good rejects individualism, which isolates, and collectivism, which erases the person. Instead, it fosters interdependence, ensuring no one is excluded. CST insists that true flourishing requires systems where everyone thrives together, rooted in justice and mutual respect.

  • Solidarity and participation are key pillars of Christian social thought, emphasizing the social nature of persons. 

    Solidarity calls for a commitment to the common good, recognizing that human flourishing depends on mutual support and cooperation. Participation complements this by affirming that individuals thrive through active engagement in social, political, economic, and cultural activities. 

    Mater et Magistra emphasizes that exclusion from these spheres undermines dignity, as humans are inherently relational beings. Participation ensures individuals contribute to and benefit from society, fostering agency and community.

    This principle underscores the necessity of anti-discrimination measures. Discrimination—whether based on race, ethnicity, immigrant status, gender, sexuality, or class—blocks access to participation, violating a person’s social vocation. 

    Gaudium et Spes condemns such exclusion, advocating equal opportunities for all. Solidarity demands dismantling barriers, as seen in CST’s support for workers’ rights in Rerum Novarum or John Paul II’s call for global equity in Sollicitudo Rei Socialis. 

    Participation, a vital principle in Christian social thought, implies freedom in multiple spheres of human life, enabling persons to flourish through active engagement. 

    This freedom manifests in the workplace, where individuals deserve fair conditions and opportunities to contribute meaningfully, as Laborem Exercens emphasizes with its focus on the dignity of work. 

    In economic markets, participation requires access to resources and fair competition, avoiding monopolies or exploitation, as Centesimus Annus advocates for moral economies. 

    Culturally, it means the right to express identity and creativity without suppression, fostering diverse communities. Politically, participation finds expression through democracy, where persons shape governance via voting and civic involvement, as Gaudium et Spes supports by endorsing systems that respect human agency. 

    Together, these freedoms ensure no one is marginalized, aligning with CST’s vision of societies where every person’s voice and contribution strengthen the common good.

    By linking participation to dignity, CST asserts that inclusive systems—free from prejudice—enable individuals to engage fully, ensuring that societies reflect the justice and interconnectedness vital for human thriving.

  • Subsidiarity, a central principle of Christian social thought, holds that decisions should be made at the most local level capable of effectively addressing an issue. 

    This ensures that individuals, families, and communities retain autonomy and responsibility, fostering human dignity and participation. Introduced in Quadragesimo Anno (1931), subsidiarity opposes statism—the over-centralization of government power—which can stifle personal initiative and erode local agency. 

    Pius XI argued that higher authorities should support, not supplant, smaller groups, intervening only when necessary, such as in crises beyond local capacity.

    Statism undermines a person’s social nature by imposing uniform solutions that ignore diverse needs. Excessive state control over education or welfare can disconnect policies from those they serve, as Mater et Magistra warns. 

    Subsidiarity, by contrast, empowers communities—like neighborhoods or cooperatives—to address their challenges, promoting creativity and accountability. 

    John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus reinforced this, critiquing bloated bureaucracies that weaken solidarity. Subsidiarity does not reject government but limits its role to what serves the common good without absorbing functions that are better handled locally. 

    Thus, it balances freedom and order, resisting statist overreach while ensuring support for human flourishing.

  • The universal destination of material goods, a key tenet of Christian social thought, holds that Earth’s resources are meant for everyone to meet their basic needs. 

    This principle, rooted in Genesis, ensures human dignity by prioritizing access to essential goods and services, such as food and shelter. 

    Rerum Novarum (1891) defends private property as a natural right that supports personal responsibility and family stability, but it subordinates this right to the common good. Leo XIII emphasized that ownership entails a social responsibility—wealth must serve others, and we should not hoard resources.

    The Church critiques systems that exclude the poor from material goods. Populorum Progressio (1967) condemned the unequal distribution of wealth, urging wealthier nations to aid developing ones. 

    Private property, while upheld, is not absolute; Laudato Si’ (2015) reinforces this, linking environmental misuse to greed that denies goods to future generations. 

    CST rejects unrestrained capitalism, which concentrates wealth, and socialism, which can suppress initiative. Instead, it advocates stewardship, where property owners act as custodians, ensuring resources benefit all. 

    This balance defends individual rights while insisting that material goods serve their universal purpose in promoting human flourishing.

  • Christian social thought views human capital and the dignity of work as essential to human flourishing. Work is not merely a means of survival but a participation in God’s creative act, reflecting human dignity. 

    Laborem Exercens (1981) by John Paul II emphasizes that work expresses the person’s vocation, enabling self-realization through creativity and service. 

    Human capital—individuals' skills, knowledge, and effort—must be valued as contributing to the common good, not reduced to economic output.

    CST rejects treating workers as commodities. Rerum Novarum (1891) defended fair wages and safe working conditions, opposing exploitation that degrades human dignity. 

    Work should provide meaning and stability, not alienation. Gaudium et Spes further calls for environments where workers grow as persons, not cogs in a machine. 

    This includes the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining, as affirmed in Quadragesimo Anno (1931), ensuring that workers’ voices shape their working conditions. 

    By prioritizing dignity over profit, CST critiques systems—whether capitalist or socialist—that undermine the value of human capital. When work just fosters individual purpose and societal well-being, it aligns with God’s plan for humanity.

  • The preferential option for the poor, a cornerstone of Christian social thought, calls for prioritizing the needs of society's most vulnerable. 

    Rooted in Jesus’ ministry to the outcasts, this principle demands special attention to those deprived of necessities—such as food, shelter, and healthcare—or excluded from social participation. 

    Populorum Progressio (1967) framed poverty as a material lack and a denial of dignity, urging systemic change to uplift the poor. John Paul II’s Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987) reinforced this, linking global inequalities to moral failures that harm the marginalized.

    This option extends beyond economic poverty to include all marginalized groups—refugees, racial minorities, the disabled, or those facing discrimination. 

    Gaudium et Spes (1965) condemned exclusion based on status, emphasizing that every person deserves justice and opportunity. 

    The Church insists that solidarity with the marginalized is not charity alone but a demand for structural fairness, as Laudato Si’ (2015) connects environmental harm to the plight of the poor. 

    CST challenges wealth disparities and power imbalances by centering the vulnerable and fostering inclusion. This commitment ensures that society measures progress by treating those at its edges with dignity, promoting it for all.

  • Christian social thought views the family as the foundation of culture, nurturing human dignity and social bonds. The family, rooted in marriage, is the primary unit where persons learn love, responsibility, and moral values. 

    Rerum Novarum (1891) emphasized its role in fostering stability, arguing that just wages and conditions support family life. As the “domestic church,” as described in Familiaris Consortio (1981), it shapes individuals for community participation and transmits faith and ethics across generations.

    CST views the family as the bedrock of culture, countering forces such as individualism or materialism that erode communal ties. 

    Gaudium et Spes (1965) affirms that families cultivate solidarity, preparing members to serve the common good. Threats to the family—such as poverty, unjust policies, or cultural fragmentation—undermine society itself. 

    John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus (1991) emphasized the need to protect families from economic exploitation in order to preserve their cultural role. By fostering virtues such as trust and cooperation, families create the conditions for a thriving culture. 

    CST thus defends the family’s autonomy and resources, ensuring it remains the vital seedbed for human relationships and societal renewal.

    Today’s realities have many Christians arguing that the idea of what constitutes a family should be broadened to include forms of alternative, chosen family arrangements as well as same-sex marriages. These families, too, can make meaningful contributions to the culture and the common good.

  • Ecological sustainability is vital in Christian social thought, emphasizing stewardship of creation for human dignity and the common good. 

    Pope Francis's Laudato Si’ (2015) frames the environment as a shared home, urging care for Earth to ensure resources for all, especially the poor. 

    Environmental degradation—pollution, deforestation, climate change—harms vulnerable communities the most and violates justice. CST advocates for sustainable practices that balance human needs with the preservation of planetary health.

    This principle builds on earlier teachings. Populorum Progressio (1967) linked development to responsible resource use, while Centesimus Annus (1991) critiqued consumerism’s ecological toll. 

    Sustainability requires solidarity, as Caritas in Veritate (2009) advocates for intergenerational justice—preserving creation for future generations. 

    CST rejects the exploitation of nature for profit and promotes renewable energy, conservation, and equitable access to clean water and sustainable land use. 

    By integrating ecology with social ethics, it insists that caring for the planet upholds human dignity and fosters flourishing. Sustainable choices reflect gratitude for God’s gift, ensuring a world where all can thrive.

A Concern for Those on the Margins

  • From a Christian perspective, the Church serves as a prophetic voice, called to proclaim truth and justice in a world marked by exclusion and inequality.

    Rooted in scripture and tradition, this role reflects the mission of the prophets and Jesus himself, who challenged societal injustices and called for repentance.

    The Church’s prophetic task is to speak truth to power, advocate for the marginalized, and guide humanity toward realizing the New Order of Love.

    The Church’s prophetic nature requires that it ask itself who it might be excluding, which groups prompt discomfort, and reflect on ways to foster reform and rethinking.

    Parishes, congregations, and communities amplify this voice through advocacy, charity, and dialogue, fostering solidarity with the poor and voiceless.

    Yet, the Church must remain humble, acknowledging its own failings, as prophetic credibility demands integrity.

    By living out the Gospel’s call to justice and mercy, Christians become a beacon of hope, challenging the world to align with the Gospel vision of compassion and equity. This prophetic role is not optional but essential to its mission.

  • Christians are called to be advocates of participation and inclusion, embodying the Gospel’s invitation to all people to share in God’s kingdom.

    Rooted in the belief that every person is created in the divine image (Genesis 1:27), the Church’s mission is to foster a community where everyone, especially the marginalized, is welcomed and empowered to contribute.

    This commitment reflects Christ’s ministry, which embraced outcasts—tax collectors, sinners, and the poor—demonstrating that no one is excluded from God’s love (Luke 15:1-2).

    Christian Social Thought emphasizes the dignity of the human person and the importance of active participation in communal life. The Church advocates for inclusion by promoting justice, ensuring access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for those who are disadvantaged. It challenges systemic barriers, such as racism and economic inequality, that exclude individuals from full participation in society.

    At the local level, the Church fosters inclusion through diverse ministries, welcoming refugees, people with disabilities, and those of different cultural backgrounds, creating spaces for dialogue and empowering the voiceless.

    However, the Church must continually examine itself to ensure its practices align with this call, addressing historical failures to include all fully.

    By advocating for participation, the Church not only builds stronger communities but also fulfills its prophetic role, which requires humility, active listening, and a commitment to dismantling exclusionary structures, thereby ensuring that all are invited to contribute to a world of justice and love.

  • The Works of Mercy represent the practical outworking of Christian social theology, translating ideas into concrete actions that serve others in their bodily and spiritual needs.

    Rooted deeply in the teachings of Jesus, particularly in Matthew 25, the Works of Mercy embody the call to treat all people as if they were Christ himself, recognizing the sacred dignity present in every neighbor.

    They are divided into two categories: the Corporal Works of Mercy, which address physical needs such as feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and visiting the sick and imprisoned; and the Spiritual Works of Mercy, which attend to spiritual and emotional needs like instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, forgiving offenses, and comforting the sorrowful.

    In social theology, the Works of Mercy serve as the tangible expression of God’s mercy in the world and provide a direct response to issues of justice and human dignity.

    They are not optional acts of kindness but essential duties that manifest the Christian commitment to love in action, bridging the gap between belief and lived reality.

    By practicing the Works of Mercy, Christians participate in the healing and restoration of broken lives and communities, making mercy and charity the foundation of social engagement.

    This practical embrace of others is the heart of a faith that cares for both the body and soul, reflecting God’s justice and compassion in social life.

  • Christians must opt to share the concerns of the marginalized and powerless.

    Jesus' ministry—proclaiming good news to the poor (Luke 4:18)—exemplifies identification with the vulnerable, challenging believers to confront systemic injustice. By ignoring the powerless, Christian spirituality becomes hollow; true discipleship requires advocacy, hospitality, and transformation.

    The Iona Community on Scotland's Isle of Iona embodies a "theology of concern" rooted in ecumenical Christianity and social justice.

    This theology integrates worship, community, and social action.

    The Community's Rule commits members to justice, peace, and stewardship through Common Concern Networks. Those Networks focus on the following issues:

    • Ecological Stewardship

    • Poverty & Inequality

    • Migration & Refugees

    • Challenging Racism

    • Interfaith Relations

    • LGBT+ Inclusion

    • Peacemaking & Non-Violence

    Read more at Iona Community Concerns.

    We view the Iona Community as a model for other communities and groups to emulate.

    Other common concerns should include the following:

    • The Homeless

    • Defending Vulnerable Lives

    • The Lonely, Awkward, and Neurodiverse

    • Animal Welfare

    • Defusing Political Polarization

    Christians and all people of goodwill are called to draw in the marginalized as a core expression of love, rooted in Jesus’ ministry of compassion and justice (Luke 4:18).

    The Gospel mandates embracing the poor, oppressed, and excluded. By prioritizing the marginalized, we embody the kingdom of God, where the voiceless are heard and the powerless are uplifted.