Signs of the Times #17: Challenges to Poverty Eradication and Insights from CST ft. Charles Clark, Ph.D.

Charley Clark is a professor of economics and finance from St. John’s University who joined us at the recent Catholic Social Tradition Conference hosted by the Center for Social Concerns here at Notre Dame. We sat down to discuss what CST can bring to economics and poverty research and how it’s important to look at Catholic social thought not as a replacement for the social sciences but rather as an aspect of moral theology that can guide our thinking in this area. Charley shares how humans thrive living in communion with others and that this isn’t just linked to individual fulfillment but that it’s also the key to a prosperous economy. He also shares that he’s optimistic about the efforts in the 21st century towards eradicating poverty and that the Catholic Church has been a leader in this by demanding that the poor in developing countries have a seat at the table.