Cities place us in situations where many things are beyond our control.
Thomas J. Massaro
Thomas Massaro is a Jesuit priest of the New England Province who taught for eleven years at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge before coming the Boston College in 2008. His work in Christian social ethics draws upon wide-ranging studies in political science, economics, philosophy and theology. Among the topics his books, articles and lectures have addressed in recent years are welfare reform, globalization, peacemaking, environmental concern and the ethics of voting and patriotism.Besides writing and teaching courses on Catholic social teaching, religion in public life and ethical dimensions of the economy, Father Massaro seeks to maintain a commitment to hands-on social activism. He recently completed a term on the Peace Commission of the City of Cambridge and is a founding member of the steering committee of Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice. Among his recent books are Catholic Perspectives on Peace and War (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003) and U.S. Welfare Policy: A Catholic Response (Georgetown University Press, 2007).Father Massaro began writing a column for America since January 2009. A selection of his recent columns appears below.
Posted inColumns
Rules of Engagement
True solidarity entails probing facts and testing arguments together.
Posted inBooks
Social Service
An exploration of the meaning of conscience and how it relates to law and government.
Posted inColumns
Bread and Roses
The aesthetic is an essential aspect of life. Not by bread alone do we live.
Posted inTelevision
What is Justice?: Some Catholic Questions for Michael Sandel
Students in Michael Sandel’s class accept with studied nonchalance ethical choices at which Catholic ministry students rightly shudder.
Posted inColumns
Moving Goals
The landscapes of Iraq and Afghanistan are dotted with moral dilemmas.