The book presents Daniel Berrigan’s contributions and challenge to Catholic social thought. His contribution lies in his consistent, comprehensive, theoretical, and practical approach to issues of peace and justice over the last fifty years. His challenge lies in his criticism of capitalism, imperialism, and militarism, inviting Catholic activists and thinkers to undertake not just a reformist but a radical critique and alternative to these realities. The aim of this book is, for the first time, to make Berrigan’s thought and life available to the Catholic academic community, so that a fruitfu ... More

The book presents Daniel Berrigan’s contributions and challenge to Catholic social thought. His contribution lies in his consistent, comprehensive, theoretical, and practical approach to issues of peace and justice over the last fifty years. His challenge lies in his criticism of capitalism, imperialism, and militarism, inviting Catholic activists and thinkers to undertake not just a reformist but a radical critique and alternative to these realities. The aim of this book is, for the first time, to make Berrigan’s thought and life available to the Catholic academic community, so that a fruitful interaction takes place. How does his work enlighten and challenge such a community? How can this community enrich and criticize his work? To these ends, the editors have recruited thinkers, scholars, thinker-activists already familiar with and sympathetic with Berrigan’s work and those who are less so identified. The result is a rich, receptive, and critical treatment of the meaning nd impact of his work. What kind of challenge does he present to academic business-as-usual in Catholic universities? How can the life and work of individual Catholic academics be transformed if such persons took Berrigan’s work seriously, theoretically and practically? Do Catholic universities need Berrigan’s vision to fulfill more integrally and completely their own mission? Does the self-knowing subject and theorist need to become a radical subject and theorist? In light of the world’s current social, political, economic, and environmental crises, doesn’t Berrigan’s call for a pacific and prophetic community of justice rooted in the Good News of the Gospel make compelling sense?