Michael Naughton

Michael Naughton, PhD, in his chapter Crisis Recognition, Tradition Comprehension, and Institutional Innovation, examines the 2,000-year trajectory of Catholic education, highlighting how its leaders—monks, priests, religious, and laypeople—have historically navigated various crises by drawing upon their profound convictions. Throughout history, these crises have sometimes led to the creation of new institutions or the adaptation of existing ones to meet contemporary needs. This dynamic continues today, underscoring the need for leaders within Catholic educational institutions who can recognize current crises, deeply understand the traditions upon which they stand, and prudently innovate to enhance institutional effectiveness. Naughton articulates a tripartite model essential for contemporary leaders in Catholic education: crisis recognition, tradition comprehension, and institutional innovation. While there is widespread consensus about the existence of an educational crisis, the challenge lies in achieving a common understanding of its nature and devising effective responses. This chapter posits that the key to addressing our current educational crisis hinges on our perception of the history of Catholic education. By thoroughly understanding our educational narrative and traditions, we gain the necessary insights to more clearly identify the nature of the current crisis, which in turn guides us toward the wisdom required to innovate and develop new forms capable of addressing these challenges effectively.

Integral ecology is an increasingly important term in Catholic social teaching. This paper brings this term in relation to business drawing upon the integral relationship between human and natural ecology. Pope Francis and his two predecessors believe that the current ecological conversation can increase our sensitivity to our impact on the natural environment as well as help us to rediscover the moral and spiritual consciousness of humannature and development that has been weakened and disordered in the wider culture. An integral ecology can enlarge our notion of the good, especially the good in business. Without the cultural and environmental insights from an integral ecology that has the capacity to provide deep moral and spiritual roots, business will always be prone to see itself within its own autonomous and utilitarian sphere failing to connect to the natural and human realities in which it is embedded.

This chapter defines “good wealth” in terms of its interdependent and organic relationship among wealth’s creation, distribution and charitable dimensions. The relationship among these three functions of wealth fits well with what Catholic social teaching refers to as “moral ecology.” In terms of wealth creation, business enterprises are the economic engine of society. We also need to speak of wealth distribution, and in particular a just distribution. The third dimension of wealth is its charitable function, in many respects the most excellent of the three functions of wealth. This chapter addresses the tensions and challenges among these three dimensions and points to innovative practices where the three dimensions of good wealth can be integrated.

Issued in 2012, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace produced The Vocation of the Business Leader (VBL), a document that synthesizes the contents of the Catholic social tradition in relation to business leaders by framing their responsibilities according to a see, judge, and act framework that reveals what practical wisdom demands in the context of business. The essay surveys the connection between practical wisdom and the see, judge, and act framework in the Catholic social tradition and explains this relationship in light of the contents of the VBL document. By first examining the subjective dimension of work, the dependent relationships between the world, the work, and the worker are magnified. From this perspective, the necessity for practical wisdom in business is evident, yet its applications abstract. What VBL proposes, in light of the see, judge, and act tradition, is a practical approach to serving the common good, making of decisions grounded in well-formed principles, and reciprocating gifts and wisdom, which inevitably defines great business leaders.

“It’s not personal, it’s business.” The divided life, or compartmentalization, poses a serious threat to virtuous work in business. When one’s identity is split into distinct spheres of values, the authenticity and integrity of the person comes into question. In order to understand the intricate nature of this phenomenon, a theological explanation, a historical and institutional exploration, along with observational and practical elucidations are presented. According to Christian tradition, the divided life finds its origins in the inherent state of original sin, preventing the individual from becoming the person he or she was created to be. This interior fragmentation has undoubtedly found an expression in the modern compartmentalization of social roles, across which moral codes are no longer consistent. The proposed antidote to the disintegration and impurity of the divided life is the pursuit of the virtue of integrity.

The Faith at Work Scale (FWS) is a 15-item measure of faith and work integration, inspired by Judaeo-Christian thought. The valid and reliable single-factor scale draws on five dimensions of work and faith—relationship, meaning, community, holiness, and giving. Recently released, the FWS is being employed in multiple studies exploring the intersection of work and faith. The scale, its development, and its approach to workplace spirituality are described in this chapter, along with the findings of research employing the scale and potential directions for future research in workplace faith.