Structures of Grace

Overview

In his encyclical Sollicitudo rei socialis (“On Social Concerns,” 1984) Pope St. John Paul II wrote of “structures of sin” operating in the world and how Christian solidarity held the key to confronting and overcoming them.

In Structures of Grace teacher and activist Kevin Ahern profiles successful Catholic organizations from around the globe—some well-known, some less so—that embody Christian solidarity by addressing the urgent human issues of our day: immigration and human rights; healthcare and housing; food, agriculture, and water; war, peace and reconciliation.

In telling the stories of organizations such as Jesuit Refugee Service, the Young Christian Workers, Plowshares and Network, Dr. Ahern sheds light on the mission, theology, and outreach of hundreds of such organizations, offering church professionals, students, educators, and volunteers a "directory of grace" at work in the world today.

Kevin Ahern, Ph.D., is assistant professor of religious studies at Manhattan College. He has served as President of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana), a network of students in over eighty countries. He is editor of Visions of Hope: Emerging Theologians and the Future of the Church, which won First Place in Theology from the Catholic Press Association.