As part of an occasional series, HNP Today suggests publications that are relevant to friars and their partners-in-ministry. The following books offer insights into the challenges of today’s economy.
Franciscans and their Finances: Economic in a Disenchanted World (Franciscan Institute Publications, 2015) by Fr. David Couturier, OFM Cap., is recommended by St. Bonaventure University, Allegany, N.Y., where Fr. David is dean of the School of Franciscan Studies. “The essays in Franciscans and their Finances delve into topics ranging from an increasingly consumerist culture’s effects on young people’s spiritual identity, to a Franciscan response to the Great Recession, to an examination of how financial scandals develop within nonprofit and profit communities,” according to a news release about the book. “Taken together, these articles and the others contained in the pages of Couturier’s book coalesce into a singular look at the ways Franciscans are developing a more relational economy oriented toward increased security, peace, and common good.”
Out of Sight: The Long and Disturbing Road of Corporations Outsourcing Catastrophe (The New Press, 2015) by Erik Loomis is recommended by William McIntyre, OFM, of Durham, N.C. The book is an analysis of labor and environmental harm in the age of globalization by an award-winning scholar and public intellectual, according to its description. Erik Loomis, who teaches history at the University of Rhode Island and who is married to William’s sister, focuses on labor and environmental issues. The book is well written and easy to read, said William, adding, “He provides a brief but complete narrative of labor movement history in the United States up to the present. While the global labor and environmental situation is grim, Erik is hopeful that with fair regulation, workers, corporations and the environment can all benefit.”
The HNP Communications Office welcomes emails from readers who would like to suggest a book or periodical. Themes that are relevant to friars and partners-in-ministry — in addition to spirituality and news of the Catholic Church — include topics related to the Province’s committees and directorates: vocations, justice and peace, wellness, African-American and Hispanic ministries, and young adults. The previous “Recommended Reading” was published on July 21.
— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas
Related Links
- “Franciscan Institute’s New Magazine Debuts” — March 27, 2015, HNP Today
- “William McIntyre Celebrates 25 Years as a Friar” — July 7, 2015, HNP Today