Short takes

摘要

A supplement to Volumes 1 and 2 (released in 2007), this book was published to fill in informational gaps and explicate the church's perspective on newly developed controversies, including scientific advances and related moral concerns. Coulter {Family in America), Richard S. Myers {Thomas Aquinas), and Joseph A. Varacalli {Bright Promise) assemble the research of nearly 120 field specialists. Among the alphabetically organized, multiparagraph entries are also figures who have either shaped or opposed Catholic social thought, such as evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and philosopher Albert Camus. VERDICT Occasionally, subtle editorializing accompanies explanations of church perspective. Otherwise, a valuable and accessible guide to church principles as they relate to specific issues and people.