Saints and Social Justice: A Guide to Changing the World

This is a wonderful book for those seeking to better understand the inner workings of a saintly life, and is not limited to social justice. It is well written, yet easy to read. The book is broken into seven sections related to aspects of social justice, and within each section, two saints are discussed. However, what I found most enlightening or helpful about this book is the way that it allows the reader to understand that all of us can be a "saint" in our own way. Often books of the lives of saints leave me feeling that I should not complain about my life because "they" had it so much worse. What I really enjoyed about this book is how it humanized the saints, and led me to understand that their actions could be duplicated by us all. For example, in the chapter about Saint Damien of Molokia, the author writes "One final lesson is how Damien showed solidarity with his leper friends by treating them with honor . . .we should show the same kind of solidarity with our marginalized friends, involving them in service with us. . .this ensures that solidarity does not devolve into patronizing". What a powerful statement! I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Brandon Vogt is a gifted writer whose accounts of these Catholic heroes illustrates God's great love for His creation as lived by this diverse group. Here is St. Benedict -- the giant of Western Monasticism -- and here is Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, the diminutive Albanian nun whose life of great love and sacrifice distilled all of the gospels down to five words: "You did it for Me." From the left-leaning Dorothy Day to the architect of Communism's collapse, St. John Paul II, Vogt ably exposes the truth that runs through all these stories: Jesus's love for humanity thrives in His Church, its sacraments, and in the actions of the faithful who make that love real in the lives of others. Some of Vogt's saints are well known while others you may meet for the first time in his pages. One thing is certain, this book will leave you wanting to know more Catholic social teaching (Vogt accommodates with a helpful list of suggested readings), and more about other saints. Here's hoping a follow-up volume is in Vogt's -- and our -- future.

A enjoyable read because there are so many stories of real people meeting real needs. Enjoyable because it encourages the reader to reach beyond their limits and become the face of God to others. Enjoyable because we all need encouragement from the body of Christ, the Church, to do what we already know our hearts long to do for others as gift. It is as gift we receive. "It is in giving that you receive." Jesus as quoted by St. Paul.

I use this book when teaching my senior HS course on social justice. I love how it relates the saints to the students' lives so well and helps them see the principles lived out. My least favorite chapter though is the one on St. Pope John Paul the Great. He's such an incredible saint and there's so much to cover, but the chapter spends a lot of time on the political situation in Poland which drags down and makes it harder for the students to really understand the concept of solidarity in their daily life and how Pope St. John Paul II lived in daily, not just in helping to bring an end to Communism (though that was huge and not discrediting it--it's just harder for a person to relate to in everyday life) Overall, a fantastic book that has helped immensely. One of my students, after having discussed St. Frances of Rome in class, actually chose her as her confirmation saint!

Catholic Social Justice and saints who demonstrate the beatitudes. Includes a clear definition of solidarity and subsidiarity and why that is important in social justice. Makes it absolutely clear that faith without works is dead. And also that the path to hell is paved by ignoring the poor. Starts by pointing to the right to life as the most important right, and that every human being has the right to life from conception to natural death. And that all human rights come from God, because we are all unique and precious in His eyes.

I very much enjoyed this book. The books format allowed the reader to not just understand the particular church belief but to see how it was put into action through the Saints. I learned from Saints I was not familiar with and learned something new about each Saint that I was familiar with. I'm recommending this to family and friends.

This is an easy book to get wrapped up. Unlike other books that put Saints on pedestals as paragons of piety that are difficult to relate to, this book makes them real. At the same time, it also makes their decisiveness in Action and Faith very clear. The Saints provide examples for our lives and this book provides a compelling call to action!

While interesting, I had hoped for more original material that I could use in the classroom with students. This book, however, describes wonderful people, but with few - if any - of their own words. The book jacket says "learn from heroes," when the book is actually learning about through Mr. Vogt's filter.

Brilliant author makes the lives of the saints relevant to today's world.