Abstract

It is maintained that the American Catholic bishops' pastoral on the economy proceeds from and expounds a distinctive theory of justice. Central to this new theory is a close analogy between the economy of a nation and its political society. Since living in a nation entitles everyone to rights of participation in the political realm, so should it be in the economic. The theory is distinguished from various others, and its implications are analyzed. An explanation is given of how the theory is rooted in scripture and Catholic thought; speculation is made as to why the theory was developed.