A New Worldly Order: John Paul II and Human Freedom

A New Worldly Order explores the 1991 social encyclical of Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus which is expected to shape the course of Christian reflection on human freedom for many years to come. The cultural, political, and economic aspects of the human quest for a freedom that truly liberates are all addressed by the Pope in this document, which also contains his analysis of the dynamics of the Revolution of 1989 in central and eastern Europe. In addition to a condensed version of the encyclical, and analyses of the pope’s letter from 23 American and European commentators representing a wide range of religious and political convictions. A New Worldly Order includes a little-known commentary on Centesimus Annus by the Pope himself, drawn from John Paul II’s remarks at a general audience on the day before the letter was released to the public. The commentaries and the condensed version of the encyclical should make this book helpful to the general reader interested in entering one of the great debates of the last decade of the 20th century.