| Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, surveys the exciting and history-changing ideas of Pope John Paul II in A Civilization of Love. By popularizing not only John Paul's vision but also that of his successor, Benedict XVI, Anderson hopes to inspire Christians to work toward creating a civilization of love. In such a civilization every person is a child of God. We are all intrinsically valuable. The battle today is between the culture of death (where people are judged by their social or economic value) and the culture of life. Anderson pushes aside religious differences in order to spread a message of hope to those who are weary of the constant turmoil of modern society. While he does specifically challenge Christians to take an active role in their faith, you do not have to be a Christian to participate in the movement toward a civilization of love.
By embracing the culture of life and standing with those most marginalized and deemed "useless" or a "burden" on modern society, Christians can change the tone and direction of our culture. Anderson demonstrates that regardless of our differences, we can come together on the centrality of loving and caring for others. He brings a message of inclusion and hope in the midst of a clash of civilizations and provides a road map for helping Christians understand their role in the world.
Click here to read an excerpt of A Civilization of Love.
All author proceeds from the sale of A Civilization of Love will go to Knights of Columbus Charities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Listen to an interview with Carl Anderson at CatholicSpotlight.com.
As Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson is the leader of the world's largest fraternal organization of Catholic laymen. Anderson was special assistant to President Reagan and acting director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, and later served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
After teaching at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome, Anderson became the founding vice president and first dean of the Washington, D.C. session of this graduate school of theology located at The Catholic University of America.
Named by Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II to several Vatican commissions, Anderson is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family, the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Academy for Life, and is a consultor to the Pontifical council for Social Communications and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
REVIEWS:
“A Civilization of Love is a bracing call to a new American revolution: a revolution of virtue. By explaining why freedom must be tethered to truth and ordered to goodness, and by offering eminently practical suggestions for bringing truth and goodness into public life, Carl Anderson does all Americans a significant service. Give this book to friends who say there’s nothing to be done to heal a wounded culture.” -- George Weigel, author of many books, including Witness to Hope
“Few elements of Catholic social teaching have been more forcefully stated, or more regularly ignored, than that the task of bringing Christian teachings to bear on social, political, and economic issues belongs pre-eminently to laymen and laywomen. Carl Anderson, the dynamic leader of the largest Catholic laymen’s organization in the United States, seeks to bring that message home in A Civilization of Love. Addressing all men and women who are concerned about what kind of society we are bringing into being, he explains how all of us, wherever we find ourselves on life’s journey, can begin building a civilization of love.” -- Mary Ann Glendon, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and Professor of Law, Harvard University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
1. The Power of Christ to Transform Culture
2. A Culture of Suspicion
3. Craftsmen of a New Humanity
4. A Dignity That Brings Demands
5. The Domestic Church
6. Globalization and the Gospel of Work
7. Ethics in the Marketplace
8. A People of Life and for Life
9. A Continent of Baptized Christians
Conclusion
Notes
Selected Bibliography |
