Dwelling with Dignity

Catholic Social Teaching and Homelessness

Suzanne Mulligan

ISBN: 9780814669853, 6985

Details: 168 pgs, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Publication Date: 03/15/2025

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Discover how Catholic Social Teaching can help us to re-think homelessness and our commitment to justice in the world.

Homelessness is on the rise globally. As many governments leave the provision of housing to the markets, access to adequate, affordable housing is becoming more precarious. Widening inequality, fueled by a capitalist and neoliberal ideology, is exacerbating the problem. Damaging social narratives deepen the stigma of homelessness, while the systemic injustices causing the housing crises are often overlooked. In Dwelling with Dignity, moral theologian Suzanne Mulligan examines how Catholic Social Teaching can help us to re-think homelessness and our commitment to justice in the world.

With its emphasis on the common good, solidarity, and integral human development, we find in the social doctrine of the church not only a robust analysis of social injustice but also a call to proximity with the sufferer. Rooted in the Gospel, it calls us to dismantle the structures that oppress the poor and exclude many from full participation in society. Dwelling with Dignity invites us to construct economies and societies that place the human person at their center, and to work toward human flourishing, personal and communal healing through accompaniment, solidarity, and a commitment to justice in the world.

Suzanne Mulligan, PhD, is a professor of the practice at the Institute for Social Concerns, Notre Dame. Her areas of interest include the common good, migration, homelessness, poverty, and gender violence. She is a member of the planning committee of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church.

The Enacting Catholic Social Tradition series is dedicated to the systematic application of Catholic Social Teaching to real-world problems and issues. Written for both academics and pastoral practitioners who want to draw on and learn more about the rich resources of Catholic Social Tradition for the practical work of justice, the series aims to strengthen the capacity of the church to respond lovingly and well to the demands of the Gospel.

ISBN: 9780814669853, 6985

Details: 168 pgs, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Publication Date: 03/15/2025

Reviews

"The dedicated and gracious Suzanne Mulligan offers us here her splendid response to homelessness by raising up the dignity of one's dwelling. Along the way she introduces us to the varied faces of the homeless, both locally and globally, while providing key lessons from Catholic Social Teaching. She concludes, inviting us to appreciate what it means to encounter and to be hospitable. Here in your hands is a powerful contemplation as well as a practical how-to guide for accompanying those who have been left behind."

James F. Keenan, SJ, Canisius Professor, Boston College

"This book bridges the gap between the expansive engagement with people who are homeless by the social mission of the church and the underdeveloped systematic treatment of the complex issue of homelessness in Catholic social teaching. This bridging text will be helpful for those teaching theological ethics, those working directly with and for people experiencing homelessness in its variety of forms, and all concerned with addressing this enormous global challenge."

Ethna Regan, Dublin City University

"The housing crisis is all around us and yet remains deeply misunderstood. Dwelling with Dignity takes readers on a journey to better understand human vulnerability and the social systems that undermine human dignity for our unhoused neighbors. In this important and accessible book, Suzanne Mulligan explains well both the drivers of the homelessness crisis as well as the pastoral wisdom of the Catholic moral tradition. Here readers will find a clear and persuasive account of Catholic social teaching, and will come to better understand the relevance of three central principles—the common good, human dignity, and integral human development—and how they motivate collective action for social change. Dwelling with Dignity is a must-read for undergraduate and seminary students who are exploring their faith while engaging in immersion learning projects and social change activism."

Emily Reimer-Barry, PhD, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Diego

"In Dwelling with Dignity, Suzanne Mulligan expertly weaves together policy analysis and theological reflection, offering a nuanced exploration of homelessness as both a global crisis and a profound denial of human dignity. Drawing on Catholic Social Teaching, she challenges contemporary Christians to rethink their response to housing insecurity, highlighting that ‘our response to the love of God is shown to be effective in His love and service of people.’ With deep insight into concrete questions—informed by her context in Ireland but with relevance across the western world—Mulligan offers much needed moral clarity and practical guidance for those committed to justice and human solidarity."

Kevin Hargaden, Director and Social Theologian, Jesuit Center for Faith and Justice, Dublin, Ireland