SPIRE

SPIRE: Scholarship in Catholic Social Tradition

Responding to urgent signs of our times, SPIRE constitutes the scholarly efforts of the Institute for Social Concerns, and seeks to deepen the Catholic social tradition (CST) on issues of justice and the common good. The work of the institute is guided by the theologically rich resources of CST. The institute’s publications apply CST to contemporary concerns; its Encounter lecture series brings preeminent global scholars to Notre Dame; the Global CST Network takes the scholarship outward to focus on issues around the world; and the biennial CST conference generates scholarship and new intellectual networks. These initiatives help the institute serve as a hub for innovative CST thinking, a locus of conversations, and a premier network of scholarship in the Catholic social tradition. 

Through SPIRE, the Institute for Social Concerns affirms that Catholic social tradition is not merely a body of thought but also a living tradition. The tradition inspires rigorous scholarship, public engagement, and transformative global partnerships. Through each of SPIRE’s initiatives, the institute is making Notre Dame the place where CST becomes widely known and shared as an effective engine for social transformation towards a more just world.

ENACTING CST
BOOK SERIES

Written with insights for academics yet accessible to all, the series addresses the systematic application of CST to real-world problems and aims to deepen insights and strengthen the capacity of the church to respond to issues of justice.

ENCOUNTER
LECTURE SERIES

Inspired by Pope Francis’s exhortation to create a “culture of encounter,” the institute brings leading scholars to campus creating an opportunity for engaging conversations grounded in the Catholic social tradition.

GLOBAL CST
NETWORK

This international network systematically explores ways to apply CST to concrete social problems that communities face around the world and seeks to share that teaching with practitioners who can implement it.

BIENNIAL CST CONFERENCE

Each conference takes its theme from seminal CST texts, bringing scholars and practitioners from around the world to the campus of Notre Dame to work together to understand and apply CST to societal challenges.

Contact

To find out more or to engage with SPIRE, contact Monica Caro at mcaro@nd.edu.