Praise for Saints and Social Justice

Now Featured in the Patheos Book Club
Saints and Social Justice
A Guide to Changing the World
By Brandon Vogt

What People Are Saying

"A triumph! One of the best presentations of the Church's social teaching. Brandon Vogt adeptly and correctly positions social justice in relation to the lives of the saints and in doing so rescues it from the ideological constraints that have for far too long made this essential teaching of the Church inaccessible to most of the faithful. Social justice is not simply a theory, but a whole way of life, revealed in all its radical and saving grace in the lives of the Church's saints."
—Very Reverend Robert E. Barron, Rector of Mundelein Seminary and founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries

"In this book, Brandon Vogt situates the principles of Catholic Social Teaching within the venerable Catholic spiritual tradition by presenting these principles within the details of the actual lives of the saints.  Each description becomes as vivid as a stained-glass window as it illustrates how each saint lived out the Gospel, and then it presents us with concrete lessons we can learn today.  This presentation will easily lead the reader to reflection and then to action.  I highly recommend Saints and Social Justice as a rich resource for your spiritual reading."
—Father Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA)

"The social teachings of the Catholic Church often produce tension or debate. But in this book, Brandon Vogt provides us the opportunity to pray these teachings through, seeing and experiencing them through the lives of the saints. The engaging and well-written work will you help you understand them anew in fresh ways."
—Rev. Msgr. Charles Pope, blogger and priest in the Archdiocese of Washington

"A much-needed, well-written, and always-inspiring book. Brandon Vogt reminds us that "social justice" is not a dirty word; rather, it's firmly rooted in the Gospels, in the church's social teachings, and, as he artfully shows us, in the lives of the great heroes and heroines of our faith.  This timely book reminds us that we are called not simply to care for the poor, but to work against anything that would keep them poor. The saints--and Jesus--would want no less from us."
—James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

"Incredibly accessible: Brandon Vogt brings Catholic social teaching to life through the actions and examples of the saints. As we cannot commit to what we do not understand, this book opens minds and hearts to connect faith with personal action. An indispensable teaching resource!"
—Dr. Carolyn Woo, President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services

"Somebody has described the social teaching of the Catholic Church as its best-kept secret. Brandon Vogt has done a great job letting this immense cat of common sense, divine revelation, and liberating truth and love out of the bag and setting it on the scurrying mice of lies, oppression and cruelty that are nibbling away at the foundations of our civilization. May his tribe increase!"
—Mark P. Shea, author of Salt and Light: The Commandments, the Beatitudes, and a Joyful Life

"With Saints and Social Justice: A Guide to Changing the World, author Brandon Vogt dares to suggest that our world might be saved from its "either/or" self by the non-ideological "both/and" that has always been Catholic social teaching. Intent on bringing those dread words "social justice" into the light and rescuing them from rhetorical misuse, Vogt cites the disparate lives and works of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Dorothy Day, St. John Paul II, St. Thomas More, and others, to illustrate just how completely our perceived "sides" and ideologies disappear when issues of life, family, rights, poverty and human dignity are addressed through the Christ-centered lenses of justice and mercy. This is an accessible book, and a brave one, too. It trusts that we want to leave a better and more peaceable world to our children than the stale-mated, divided one we currently inhabit."
—Elizabeth Scalia, author of Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in our Everyday Lives and the blogger known as The Anchoress

"Brandon Vogt's newest book offers us a fresh view on Catholic social doctrine from the Church's best and clearest thinkers: the saints. Vogt takes up Francis Cardinal George's challenge to set aside partisan ideologies and propose Catholic social doctrine in a "simply Catholic" manner. Vogt's clear, engaging and accessible style of writing, combined with the practical wisdom of saints who lived these ethical principles out in the real world, with all its ambiguities and challenges, makes Vogt's book an excellent introduction to the topic and can be used as a resource for personal reflection, teen or adult group study, or RCIA."
—Dr. Thomas Neal, Professor of Spiritual Theology and Academic Dean at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana