Shadow of the Cross: Catholic Social Teaching and Australian Politics

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Catholic social teaching had a venerable influence on Australian political history, but does it still have anything to offer?

Greg Craven argues that it remains an important resource for addressing the central challenges of Australian politics.

In doing so, he considers the case put forward by Tim Wilson in The New Social Contract for liberalism, Adrian Pabst’s analysis of Labor’s unique approach to social democracy in Story of Our Country, and Damien Freeman’s account of conservatism in Abbott’s Right.

His critique of liberalism, social democracy, and conservatism from the perspective of Catholic social teaching offers a vision for how Australian political debate might be done better.

Five essayists, including Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott, offer their own thoughts on the future of politics and policy, and the utility of Catholic social teaching as a resource for policy-making in their responses to Craven’s analysis.