Thomas Lunde wrote:
>
>
> RH asks:
>
> Does work serve a purpose to the soul?
ON HUMAN WORK
Laborem Exercens
Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II
Availabe at http://www.cin.org/jp2ency/laborem.html
This is a response of the Catholic church on this matter.
The theologian Gregory Baum has published on this area.
Title: The Logic of solidarity : commentaries on Pope John
Paul II's encyclical On social concern / edited by
Gregory Baum and Robert Ellsberg ; with the complete
text of the encyclical.
Published: Maryknoll, N.Y. : Orbis Books, c1989.
Description: xv, 232 p. ; 21 cm.
LC Call No.: BX1753 .C34 1989
Dewey No.: 261.8 20
ISBN: 0883445786
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Subjects: Catholic Church. -- Pope (1978- : John Paul II). --
Sollicitudo rei socialis.
Sociology, Christian (Catholic) -- Papal documents.
Sociology, Christian (Catholic)
Church and social problems -- Catholic Church.
Catholic Church -- Doctrines.
Other authors: Baum, Gregory, 1923-
Ellsberg, Robert, 1955-
Other authors: Catholic Church. Pope (1978- : John Paul II).
Sollicitudo rei socialis. English. 1990.
Baum also wrote Theology and Society Paulist Press Mahwah 1987
Author: Baum, Gregory, 1923-
Title: The priority of labor : a commentary on Laborem
exercens : encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II /
Gregory Baum.
Published: New York : Paulist Press, c1982.
Description: 152 p. ; 21 cm.
LC Call No.: HD6338 .B33 1982
Dewey No.: 261.8/5 19
ISBN: 0809124793 (pbk.) : $5.95
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Subjects: Catholic Church. -- Pope (1978- : John Paul II). --
Laborem exercens.
Church and labor.
Socialism, Christian.
Other authors: Catholic Church. Pope (1978- : John Paul II). Laborem
exercens. English.
Christian Socialism John Cort, (Orbis Books,1988) Corts book is an
excellent coverage of the issues pertaining to this area
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________
Don't forget the Centre for Concern
Economic Justice. The economy is for the people and the resources of the
earth are to be shared contemporary social questions. Labor takes precedence
over both capital and technology in the production process. Just wages and
the rights of workers to organize are to be respected. [On Human Work]
More available at the Centre for Concern Washington DC site.
http://www.igc.apc.org/coc/12major.htm#Econ-Justice
A Catholic Framework For Economic Life"
(An Affirmation of Economic Justice For All)
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops
November 13, 1996
As followers of Jesus Christ and participants in a powerful economy,
Catholics in the United States are called to work for greater economic
justice in the face of persistent poverty, growing income-gaps, and
increasing discussion of economic issues in the US and around the world. We
urge Catholics to use the following ethical framework for economic life as
principles for reflection, criteria for judgment and directions for action.
These principles are drawn directly from Catholic teaching on economic life.
1.The economy exists for the person, not the person for
http://www.pernet.net/~sinclair/gen-art/nccb-1.htm
St. Thomas Aquinas: AGAINST ABSOLUTE PRIVATE PROPERTY
I hope the following passages from the Summa will be helpful.
>From _Summa Theologiae_ II.IIae.66.7
"In cases of necessity everything is common property and thus it is
not a sin for someone to take the property of another that has become
common property through necessity...Human law cannot violate natural
or divine law. The natural order established by Divine Providence is
such that lower ranking things are meant to supply the necessities of
men. Therefore, THE DIVISION AND APPROPRIATION OF PROPERTY BY HUMAN
LAW DOES NOT PREVENT ITS BEING USED FOR THE NEEDS OF MAN....If there
is an urgent and clear need, so urgent and clear that it is evident
that an immediate response must be made on the basis of what is
available, such as when a person is in imminent danger and cannot be
helped in any other way -- THEN A PERSON MAY LEGITIMATELY SUPPLY HIS
NEED FROM THE PROPERTY OF SOMEONE ELSE, WHETHER OPENLY OR SECRETLY.
STRICTLY SPEAKING SUCH A CASE IS NOT THEFT OR ROBBERY."
http://www.bway.net/~halsall/radcath/rad-privprop-aquinas.txt
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Bob McDaniel
Sent: Saturday, June 19, 1999 12:05 PM
To: FutureWork
Subject: FW:Re: How to we get from here to there when there keeps
changing
Thomas Lunde wrote:
>
>
> RH asks:
>
> Does work serve a purpose to the soul?
>
> TL:
>
> The soul has become a defunct theory in our modern? age. I
> thank you for bringing it up for I still believe in a
> "soul", though perhaps I might not use the Christian word as
> it is very ambigous. Perhaps, in my terms, I might use a
> word such as entity or psyche in the Sethian sense to refer
> to that aspect of us the incarnates and reincarnates for
> purpose. In that sense, "Does work serve a purpose to the
> soul?", I would answer in a general sense no - though there
> are no limits and the psyche may use work to set up
> situations in which the important work which is the
> learnings of values, choices and the development of talents,
> may take place. In our less spiritual time, when character
> has become a value represented by net worth, rather than the
> wisdom that accumulates to an elder or shaman, work in the
> sense of "paid work" has become more valuable than personal
> growth. Our ancestors would surely find this most strange
> and look at us as if we are deranged - and we are.
>
>
Sethian indeed! Shades of the occult, "channeling" and clairvoyance.
The soul may be the spirit in each of us and may well be reflected in
the feeling we get when we excel at something or are the source of a
random act of kindness (for example). It may also be the source of those
nagging feelings of conscience some experience when they do what they
ought not do, or vice versa.
Does work serve a purpose to the soul? Is that the same as asking does
work make us feel good? For many having work (job - is that the same?),
which generates an income, is accompanied by feelings of well-being. But
work can also be very trying (testing our patience and adherence to
values) and that surely is serving a purpose to the soul.
Or, perhaps work is simply being gainfully employed (contributing to
society), paid or not, and that also is probably a source of good
feelings.
While it may be true in some circles that "work in the sense of "paid
work" has become more valuable than personal growth" it begs the
question "Are there circumstances when "paid work" and personal growth
are synonomous?" This probably depends on how one defines "personal
growth" - growth in professional skills, growth in the range of one's
talents, growth in one's world knowledge, etc.
But, regardless of that issue, where has soul gone?
If "the psyche (is that the same as soul?) may use work to set up
situations in which the important work which is the learnings of values,
choices and the development of talents, may take place" then it appears
that the soul can seek its own purpose in work!
Nothing is simple. Complexity seems to be the name of the game. We have
a situation here analogous to that of the fluttering of a butterfly's
wings in China precipitating a tornado in Oklahoma: RH poses a brief
question which generates a whirlwind of responses.
Must be a good question.
--
http://publish.uwo.ca/~mcdaniel/
