In this visionary book, John Raymaker and Gerald Grudzen with Joe Holland - three pioneering scholars of religion, philosophy, and culture - first try to read those contemporary signs of the times which indicate that late modern civilization and our entire planet Earth are "on the brink." They do this primarily in relation to the interrelated global financial-ecological crisis. They frame their reading of the signs of the times within the emerging and authentically postmodern "New Cosmology," which sees evo- lution as a co-creative artistic-mystical process, in contrast to the modern secularist- determinist cosmology which sees the Universe as atomistic and mechanical, and as devoid of spiritual meaning or purpose. Seeking a healing response to the late modern global financial-ecological crisis of modernity, their book next probes classical expressions of the "wisdom of the ages," as found in the spiritual and ethical writings of select mystical thinkers from Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. This probing searches for an inclusive global spirituality that will resonate with creative ecological-mystical cosmology presently arising within the frontiers of philosophy and science. Their book then tries to link that global spirituality to the search for a healing global ethics. In that application, they criticize certain late modern and hypermodern forms of thought (often falsely claiming to be "postmodern"), which fail to provide true solu- tions for the late modern social-ecological breakdown. A true global ethics, their book argues, needs to be rooted in the deep wisdom of all the great spiritual traditions of the human family, including the rich spiritualities of the natural world found in humanity's ancient "indigenous" traditions. Lastly, their book explores how global spirituality and global ethics need to take expres- sion in a regenerative global civilization. This civilization, the book argues, would re- ject the late modern "free-market" model of globalization, which is uprooting humans from their natural communities and from the entire natural world. Instead, it would network and defend the global spiritual solidarity of rooted communities, and protect workers, families, and bioregions on which they depend.

This book is the first volume in a series written from an Afrocentric perspective, especially for use in forming young visionary leaders for the emerging postmodern Global Civilization. It invites young leaders and all people to study humanity's African roots and the ancient and healing wisdom of African traditions. Within the contemporary intellectual-spiritual renaissance of African roots, the book highlights the creation-oriented spirituality of Africa, so full of joy and praise. It summarizes the scientific story of our human family's birth in ancient Africa, and our human family's subsequent migratory journey across the entire planet. It points out the African roots of civilization, of spirituality, and of the roles of women and men, all of which may still be partially reflected across today's human cultures. The book argues that we humans form a single human family guided by common philosophical-ethical truths seminally present in ancient African wisdom. It argues that these truths are grounded in the nature and purpose of everything in the created world, including humanity. We humans are not separated into radically different races. Nor are we separated from the rest of Nature. Rather, we form one human family within the natural world and we seek a common Global Ethics for ourselves and for the natural world of which we are an organic part. The book invites young leaders and all people to work together in healing the great spiritual, ecological, and social breakdowns that have developed from following the false philosophical wisdom of the mechanical-utilitarian cosmology at the foundation of modern Western industrial-colonial civilization. This misguided cosmology constitutes the deep intellectual root of late modern Western culture's promotion of selfish individualism, ecological destruction, and spiritual emptiness. Drawing on African wisdom, the book seeks to help young leaders, and others, to develop a healing global vision for ecological, social, and spiritual regeneration. The book may be used for college and high-school classes, for adult study groups, or for individual study. JOE HOLLAND, the author, is Professor of Philosophy at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, in the United States. He also serves as President of the Pacem in Terris Global Leadership Initiative. He holds a Ph.D. in the field of Social Ethics from the University of Chicago and has published twelve other books.

"The repeated calls issued within the Church's social doctrine, beginning with Rerum Novarum, for the promotion of workers' associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honored today even more than in the past, as a prompt and far-sighted response to the urgent need for new forms of cooperation at the international level, as well as the local level." - Benedict XVI, CARITAS IN VERITATE, Paragraph 25 THIS BOOK provides summaries and commentaries for five landmark papal encyclicals defending workers and their unions. These are: Leo XIII's 1891 Rerum Novarum; Pius XI's 1931 Quadragesimo Anno; John XXIII's 1961 Mater et Magistra; and John Paul II's 1981 Laborem Exercens and 1991 Centesimus Annus. The heart of the book is an extended summary and commentary on each of the above five encyclicals, which are often mentioned but seldom studied. The book opens with the author's analysis of the late modern breakdown of Catholic evangelization among the working classes especially in the United States and other English-speaking industrialized countries. It concludes with a proposed pastoral strategy of global church-labor solidarity to overcome both the older mid-19th century "loss of the working class" to the Catholic Church in much of Western Europe, and also the newer recently developing "loss of the working class" to the Catholic Church in the United States and other English-speaking industrialized countries. As the book makes clear, the Social Magisterium of the Catholic Church defends workers' unions as an essential human right rooted in workers' sharing in the image of God, and having the God-given human right to organize for their defense and for participation in decision-making within their workplaces. Bishops and other pastoral leaders who do not build their pastoral strategies for evangelization on this central theme of Catholic Social Teaching undermine their own Catholic (universal) vocation to preach the full Gospel of Jesus to all social classes. JOE HOLLAND is an eco-social philosopher and Catholic theologian with a Ph.D. in the field of Social Ethics from the University of Chicago. His earlier book, MODERN CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING 1740-1958, traces the wisdom tradition of Catholic Social Teaching from its early modern expression through to the death of Pius XII. It addresses the tradition's development as first an anti-modern, and then a modern, ecclesial strategic response to the early and middle stages of Liberal Capitalism and Scientific Socialism. In a forthcoming book on John XXIII, and in additional future books on subsequent popes, Joe plans to address the postmodern development of the tradition from 1958 forward. These books will describe the still developing postmodern Catholic ecclesial strategic response to the turbulent local-global crises of both Liberal Capitalism and Scientific Socialism. They will also highlight the Spirit-inspired seeds of hope -- emerging across the human family -- for a regenerative local-global ecological civilization.

In recent years, and especially through the leadership of the late Pope John Paul II, Catholic Social Doctrine has become strongly opposed to capital punishment in practically all cases. The Catholic Church's opposition to the death penalty is based on its support for a consistent ethic of life for all of humanity. This consistent ethic also includes defending the unborn, the handicapped, victims of human rights abuses, and countless others whose human dignity is violated. This book, a collection of papers gathered as part of a project by the Florida Council of Catholic Scholarship, describes and defends the official Catholic theological opposition to the use of the death penalty in practically all cases. The book was produced by the Pax Romana Center for International Study of Catholic Social Teaching. Both bodies are hosted by and located at Saint Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida.