The Four Steps in the Cycle of Christian

Praxis
By:  Henry L. Bernardo
 
The Church, in her effort to live out the spirituality of social
transformation, suggests the four-step cycle of Christian social praxis
(some call it social action; pastoral action; or action for justice).  It is a four-
step method that is patterned after Joseph Cardinal Cardijn’s See–Judge–
Act method and develops into a spiral movement – a cycle that repeats the
whole process and yet at the same time develops from the previous one
and moves forward.  These four steps are:  a.  Experience    b.  Social
Analysis    c. Theological Reflection   d.  Action.

 
1.  Experience
Experience is the first step or moment in the cycle of Christian social
praxis.  Here, we ask the questions:  “What is going on in our present
context?” “Whose experience is being considered?”;  What is the
experience all about?”; “What do the people feel?” ; “How do they
respond?”  The word experience here refers to all that contribute to our
current situation as Filipinos including but not limited to our economic,
social, political, religious, educational, and ecological contexts. 
  This step is the foundation of all Christian social praxis and it calls
into consciousness the experiences of individuals and communities.  To be
a good Christian involves being aware of the different social issues. Thus,
for us Filipinos, it is imperative that we become aware of what is going on
in the Philippine society and eventually in the whole world particularly
those that affect the life and well-being of people. The recent advancements
in broadcast and social media make the dissemination of information a lot
faster and easier.  However, they also brought about a new challenge:  the
proliferation of fake news, false information, and historical revisionism. 
Distorted, inaccurate or false information shared through social media
particularly those sent by people with hidden agenda have the potentials to
cause real problems.  
 
 2.  Social Analysis: Analyzing the signs of the times
 
After being conscious of our experiences as a community, the next
step is to analyze the causes and effects, identify the people involved, and
delineate linkages in the different social issues. Here, the question being
asked is “What’s behind all this?” This process is called social analysis. 
 Social analysis maybe defined as “the effort to fully understand a
particular social situation".  Social analysis serves as a tool that permits us to
understand the realities we are dealing with.
            Social analysis is an instrument of Christian reflection. Pope Paul VI
saw the relevance of analyzing the situation in a particular society and
reflecting on the experiences arising from those situations in the light of
Jesus’ message.    In his social document, Octagesima Adveniens (Call to
Action) (1971), Pope Paul VI wrote that "It is up to Christian communities
to analyze with objectivity the situation which is proper to their own
country, to shed in it the light of  the Gospel’s unalterable words and to
draw principles or reflection, norms of judgment, and directives of action
from the social teaching of the Church" (OA, 4).
 
 Even before this pronouncement by Pope Paul VI, Gaudium et
Spes has already recognized the indispensability of social analysis in the
Church’s efforts to bring the Good News to the modern world.  It is stated
that the Church “must rely on those who live in the world, are versed in
different institutions and specialties and grasp their innermost significance
in the eyes of both believers and unbelievers.” (GS, 44)  PCP II shares the
same conviction when it states that
 A thorough social analysis, structural and cultural, is to be promoted more
intensely in the process of building up discerning communities of faith,
precisely to the end that their efforts at social transformation take into
account hard social realities and carried through from a genuine
perspective of faith  (Art. 22, #1).
 
Social analysis should also take into consideration both the objective
and subjective dimensions of reality.  The objective dimension  takes into
consideration the external structures such as various organizations and
institutions, while the subjective dimension includes consciousness, values,
ideologies, and attitudes of the members of the society.
             Social analysis focuses on and investigates isolated issues such as
poverty, unemployment, inflation, environmental problems, international
relations, etc.  It also studies the different policies that address and affect
these issues like job training, free-trade, monetary control, charter change,
foreign debt, etc.
            To be more comprehensive, social analysis has to be both historical
and structural.  Historical analysis is an analysis in terms of time.  It is a
study of the changes of a social system through time.  Structural analysis on
the other hand, is an analysis in terms of what is happening to a particular
structure.  It provides a cross section of a system’s framework in a given
moment of time
  
However, Social analysis has some limitations:
1.      It is not designed to provide an immediate answer to the question,
“What do we do?” It is does not give us a step-by-step solution to the
problem.
 2.     It is simply like a diagnosis of a sickness. It does not provide a
cure.  “It is the local people and not the ‘experts’ who are capable of
studying their social problems and offering concrete steps towards
their solution "(Gorospe, 1997, 10).
3.     It is not being done for purely academic purposes but it is for the
service of justice. Social analysis, therefore, should lead us to actions
for justice.
4.     It is not value-free. Social analysis does not adopt a neutral
approach, a purely “scientific and objective view of reality".    Values
and biases usually affect the analyst's work.  (There is, therefore, a
need to wrestle with our own biases, commitments, and values in
life.)
 
            In our effort to examine the structures of society we have to ask the
questions why and how.  Why are there so many poor people?  How did
they become poor?  Why are the rich becoming richer?  Only by asking
such questions can we have a broader picture of the economic, social,
political, cultural, and religious situations of our society – identifying those
who hold power and make decisions, those who are victims and are being
oppressed and those who just do not care about the events around them. 
Social analysis also helps us see the linkages and influences that operate in
the social system.  The Philippine Situationer of PCP II (8-33) is a very good
example of social analysis in the light of Christian faith (see Appendix A).
 
3.  Theological reflection: Reflecting on the signs of the times
            The third step is the theological reflection.  At this moment, the
questions we ask ourselves are:  “What is the role of my faith regarding this
issue?” and “What does my faith tell me to do?” “What is my mission?” 
“What does the Church teach about it?”  Here, the analyzed experience is
seen in the light of the living faith, scripture, Church social teaching and
tradition.  It is not simply a reflection or deliberation on what must be
done.  It is “theological” because the element of Christian faith is added in
the deliberation on what must be done: “As a Christian, what must I do?";
"What does the Bible and the teaching of the Church say about the
problem?”; “Can I identify some statements of the Church made by a pope,
a council or a group of bishops that can be applied to this problem?”
                        Knowledge of the social teaching of the Church is necessary
in doing theological reflection.  The teaching authority of the Church
(the magisterium) helps us reflect and guides us in living out our Christian
faith in the contemporary social context. Yet, the Social Teaching of the
Church (STC) is not a very popular teaching.  There are even writers who
call it the “best kept secret of the Church.”  Not that the Catholic Church
wants to keep it a secret but because up to now, only a small percentage of
Catholics know about it and a lot of people are even surprised to know that
the Catholic Church has such teachings.  Some blame it on the very nature
of the contents of the STC which for some are too radical and demand
changes in the social structure.  That’s why until now, STC remains
unpopular and unknown to many Catholics and many of those who know
it do not want to preach it because they do not want to “rock the boat” and
be branded as rebellious, subversive, or anti-government.  They would
rather preach what is more pleasant and more acceptable to majority of
people particularly to the rich and powerful.  But that should not always be
the case.  To embrace what is true and just demands courage, strength, and
dedication even if it would mean going against the existing social structure.
 
           4.  Pastoral Planning and Action
This step is the actual living out of one’s mission to God and to the
society.  After analyzing the experience and reflecting on it in the light of
faith, the individual or the community makes a plan of action.
 Here, we ask the questions:  “What can we as a group or as
individuals do about this problem?” “How can we best carry out our
Christian mission in our society?” “What resources do we have to help us
with our plan of action?”  “What is the first step we should take?”
 This last step is the goal of the social teaching of the Church, i.e. to
lead us Christians to a life of involvement for justice, love, unity, peace, and
integrity of creation.
 This action will bring about new experiences which in turn need to
be analyzed and reflected upon in the light of faith and will consequently
lead to another action and new experiences.  Thus, the cycle continues.
            But it should not be forgotten that throughout the four steps, prayer
is an important element.  A Christian should not forget his prayer life.  That
is why all the steps should revolve around prayer.
Contact  English (US) 

 Our Social Mission

By:  Henry L. Bernardo
 
It is no less mistaken to think that we may immerse ourselves
in earthly activities as if these latter were utterly foreign to religion,
and religion were nothing more than the fulfillment of acts of worship
and the observance of a few moral obligations. One of the gravest
errors of our time is the dichotomy between the faith which many
profess and their day-to-day conduct. As far back as the Old
Testament the prophets vehemently denounced this scandal, and in
the New Testament Christ himself even more forcibly threatened it
with severe punishment. Let there, then, be no such pernicious
opposition between professional and social activity on the one hand
and religious life on the other. Christians who shirk their temporal
duties shirk their duties towards his neighbor, neglect God himself,
and endanger their eternal salvation.   (Gaudium et Spes, 43)
 
All Christians, their pastors included, are called to show concern for the building
of a better world.  (Evangelii Gaudium, 183 )
 
 
The mission of the Church is the proclamation of the Gospel to the
whole of humanity.  It is centered on Jesus Christ as the Good News and
His Kingdom (Mk. 1:14).  It involves proclaiming Jesus Christ as the savior
and liberator who offers salvation to all.  This is the essence of
evangelization.  In the document Evangelii Nuntiandi,  (EN) Pope Paul VI
describes evangelization as “bringing the Good News into all the strata of
humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within
and making it new . . .”  (EN, 18).  Integral evangelization “comprises the
proclamation of the Word, the communication of divine life through the
Sacraments, and the prophetic manifestations – through Christian praxis –
that the Kingdom of God has already begun (Gomez, 1988, p. 26).  St. John
Paul II describes three different situations for evangelization in his
encyclical Redemptoris Mission (RM) namely, mission ad gentes (to the
nations), evangelization in Christian communities, and the new
evangelization.  Mission ad gentes is the evangelization in situations where
“Christ and his Gospel are not known”.  Evangelization in Christian
communities refers to the ongoing evangelization of those who remain
“fervent in faith”.  New evangelization refers to a situation between the first
two descriptions.  It is evangelization in a situation where “entire groups of
the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider
themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ
and his Gospel.”  New evangelization is therefore, a kind of re-
evangelization of people. 
 
            Evangelization includes a two-fold dimension:  the religious
dimension and the social dimension (Gomez, 1988).  The religious dimension
is manifested specifically in religious activities such as the proclamation of
the Word of God, Bible studies, celebration of the sacraments, and other
liturgical activities.  The social (or socio-political) dimension is “concretized
in the promotion of integral human development and liberation” which
includes the promotion of justice and charity. (Gomez, 1988)  Actions for
justice and charity are considered “constitutive” (essential, obligatory)
element of evangelization.  This is highlighted in the Church document
“Justice in the World” (JW):  “Action on behalf of justice and participation
in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive
dimension of the preaching of the Gospel”  (JW, 6).
 
Thus, evangelization or the proclamation of God’s Kingdom to the
whole humanity includes not only religious activities but necessarily
includes socio-political activities that promote justice, charity, and peace. 
The Church further teaches that
 
This is evangelization: the proclamation, above all, of salvation
from sin; the liberation from everything oppressive to man; the
development of man in all his dimensions, personal and
 communitarian; and ultimately, the renewal of society in all its
strata through the interplay of the Gospel truths and man’s
concrete total life.  This is our task.  This is our mission.  (PCPII,
166)
 
The mission of the Church to the society is, therefore, rooted in the
second dimension (socio-political dimension) of evangelization.   It can be
described as the mission to bring about social transformation.  It is the
Church’s mission to help make justice and love present in our society for
the redemption of the total person, that is, all the aspects of human life, be
it socio-political, economic, cultural or spiritual, from all forms of
oppression.  Just like the mission of Jesus, the Church's social mission is
three-fold: Kingly, Priestly, and Prophetic. 
 
This gives the Church (i.e., all of us members of the Church through
the leadership of our religious leaders) not only the duty to be missionaries
who would lead people to God and inspire them to have a deeper spiritual
life but also the duty to become instruments of justice, peace, and
development here and now.  Peace here is to be understood as not simply
an absence of war but as the presence and reign of truth, justice, charity,
and freedom.  Development, on the other hand, is integral human
development, i.e. encompassing all the strata of the human existence, be it
social, economic, political, cultural, and environmental.  Pope Francis
further states that

The Church’s pastors, taking into account the contributions of the

different sciences, have the right to offer opinions on all that
affects people’s lives, since the task of evangelization implies and
demands the integral promotion of each human being. It is no
longer possible to claim that religion should be restricted to the
private sphere and that it exists only to prepare souls for
heaven . . . . Consequently, no one can demand that religion
should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without
influence on societal and national life, without concern for the
 soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion
on events affecting society. (Evangelii Gaudium, 182 – 183)
 
The document “Justice in the World” teaches that the Church has
received from Christ her mission which entails the right and duty to
proclaim justice on the local, national and international level, and to
denounce instances of injustice when the fundamental rights of a person
and his very salvation demands it (JW 18).  The Church, therefore, has a
specific mission to the society – a social mission.  This mission is a
constitutive dimension of the Church and interrelated with the Church’s
religious mission.  Specifically, this mission gives the Church the duty and
authority to teach and interpret the message of the Gospel to the present
context and thereby guide and assist all people in the pursuit of their total
salvation (or kaginahawahan,  as many Filipino theologians prefer to use the
term kaginhawahan as the more appropriate translation of the term salvation
instead of  kaligtasan).  Consequently, this understanding of the mission of
the Church necessitates an examination of the constantly evolving
problems that confront modern human beings both as individuals and as
social groups.
 
 
Gaudium et Spes speaks of the Church’s mission and says that out of
the religious mission of the Church comes a function, a light and an energy
which can serve to structure the human community according to the
Divine Law (GS,42).  Only by remaining loyal to this mission can we say
that we have continued the work begun by Christ.  We cannot remain
neutral or remain deaf to the cry of those who are victims of oppressions
and injustices.  As Christians we should follow the example of Christ and
stand for what is true and just in all the aspects of human existence.      Just
like Jesus Christ, we cannot be neutral.  We need to make a choice.  The
expression of our faith must always be preferential, never neutral.  And this
faith can only be expressed and must be expressed through our spiritual,
social, economic, political, and cultural involvement here and now.  

 Christian Understanding of Salvation

 
            The social mission of the Church maybe further understood as
emanating from an understanding of the salvation promised by Jesus
Christ as “salvation of the total person”.  This Christian understanding of
salvation as  “salvation of the total person” is something that we must
properly understand.
 
We have been taught that Christ became a human person and he
dwelt among us to fulfill His mission to save us.  But what does “saving
us” mean and how did He do that?  How did He save us?  The immediate
and most common answer is: Jesus saved us by dying on the cross.  Is this a
correct answer?  Yes.  But then again, it is only half correct.  Although we
may read in 1 John 4:10 that:  “And this is love, not that we love God but
that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins”,  to
believe that Jesus Christ became human just to “die for our sins” is missing
the whole point of incarnation.
 
In the life of Jesus, we can see that he was totally involved in the life-
situations of the people around him.  He cured the sick, he fed the hungry
and he forgave sinners.  He laughed with them and cried with them. 
 
Mk. 1:15 – He said, this is the time of fulfillment; the
kingdom of God is at hand.  Change your ways and believe the
Good News.
 
Mt. 11:4-5 – Jesus said to them in reply, Go and tell John
what you hear and see:  the blind regain their sight, the lame
walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. 
 
Mk. 2: 5, 11-12 – When Jesus saw the faith of these people,
he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven . . . Rise,
take up your mat and go home."  The man rose and, in the sight
of all these people, he took up his mat and went out.  All of
them were astonished and praised God saying, "We have never
seen anything like this!"
 
Lk 4:16-21 – When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had
been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as
he usually did.  He stood up to read and they handed him the
 book of the prophet Isaiah.  Jesus then unrolled the scroll and
found the place where it is written:  ‘the Spirit of the Lord is
upon me.  He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives and to give new sight to the
blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord’s year of
mercy.’  Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant
and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed
on him.  Then he said to them, ‘Today these prophetic words
come true even as you listen.
 
Mt. 5:23-24 – So, if you are about to offer your gift at the
altar and you remember that your brother has something
against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once
and make peace with your brother, and then come back and
offer your gift to God.
 
To say that Jesus’ act of saving us entails only dying on the cross is an
incomplete concept of His saving act.  In between his birth and his death,
Jesus lived a life evident of his promised salvation. Evidently, Jesus did not
come only for spiritual reason.  He did not say to the sick: “I have come
only for the salvation of your soul.  Pray so that when you die, your soul
will go to heaven.”  Nor did he say to the hungry people:  “Pray, when you
die, you’ll go to heaven.”  Instead he cured and fed them.  The whole life
and works of Jesus, therefore, is a concrete expression of his mission to
save us.  His mission is a mission for liberation and his ministry is
a liberating ministry.  He liberates people from forms of evil and oppression.
This salvation that He offers - real, present, and concrete - was the same
salvation experienced by the Israelites which led them to profess God as
the God who saves them from oppressions. 
 
Exodus 3: 7-8  -  But the Lord said, I have witnessed the
affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of
complaint against their slave drivers, so I know well what they
are suffering.  Therefore, I have come down to rescue them from
the hands of the Egyptians and lead them out of that land into a
good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
 
 Exodus 6: 6-7 – I am the Lord, I will free you from the forced
labor of the Egyptians and will deliver you from their slavery.  I
will rescue you by my outstretched arm and with mighty acts of
judgment.  I will take you as my own people, and you shall have
me as your God.  You will know that I, the Lord, am your God
when I free you from the labor of the Egyptians and bring you
into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
 
 Christ’s mission of bringing salvation to us does not, therefore, entail
only his dying on the cross but also proclaiming that the Kingdom or Reign
of God is here and to bring good news to the poor, the beggars, the slum
dwellers; to proclaim release to captives and to victims of injustices;  to
bring health to the blind, deaf, dumb, sick;  liberty to the oppressed and
announcing the jubilee year of the Lord (which is understood as restoration
of land, cancellation of debts and release of slaves-cf. Lev. 25).  This was the
mission of Christ – the salvation he brought to us.
 
But still, some people tend to believe that Jesus’ mission was purely
religious and that he did not involve himself in economic, political and
socio-cultural matters.  For better clarity, let us look into the Scripture and
see how Jesus criticized the religious people of his time (cf. Gonzales &
Gutierrez, 1994 p. 3).
1. Jesus criticized cultic worship, divorced from love of God and
neighbor (Mt. 5:23-24).
2. Jesus criticized a legalistic understanding of the relationship
between God and man (Mk. 2:27; Mt. 21:13).
3. Jesus criticized the religious elite of his time – the pharisees,
doctors of the law, and priests who used religion for their own
selfish reasons. The strongest words of Jesus were certainly
directed to them (Mt. 23:23).
 
It is clear therefore, that Jesus’ mission is very much relevant and
related to the economic, political, social, and cultural realities. He is offering
a salvation that is concrete and must be experienced by people “here and
now”.   It is not simply the kind of salvation that promises freedom of the
soul from sin so that a person will experience eternal life with God after
death.  That is just one aspect of that salvation.   Jesus said that he came “to
bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to give
new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord’s year
of mercy”  (Lk. 4:18).  His promised salvation is not only spiritual but also a
concrete one.  He wants us to experience God as a saving God in the same
way that the Israelites concretely experienced Him when He saved them
from misery and oppression in the hand of the Pharaoh of Egypt.  The
Israelites professed that God saves because He “saved” them from Egypt. 
He is a God who gives salvation to a hungry person, a deprived person, an
oppressed person, an insecure person, a suffering person.  God therefore,
saves the total person not only from sin but from all human evils and
oppressions.  The Old Testament prophets taught this same idea of
salvation when they preached God’s promise of salvation from war,
oppression, hunger, etc. for abundance, security, new heart, peace and new
paradise (cf. Is. 2:2-5; Amos 9:11-15;  Exequiel 36:22-32; Is. 11:5-9).  For them
God offers a salvation that is concrete and can be experienced here and
now.  Likewise, Christ’s promised salvation entails proclaiming that the
Kingdom or Reign of God is here; bringing good news to the poor, the
beggars, the slum dwellers; proclaiming freedom to captives and to victims
of injustices; bringing health to the blind, deaf, dumb, sick;  liberty to
oppressed and announcing the jubilee year of the Lord (which is
understood as restoration of land, cancellation of debts and release of
slaves (cf. Lev. 25). 
 
Hence, salvation should not be too spiritualized.  It is not only a
salvation of the soul from sin.  It is the salvation of the living person from
oppressions.  One should not remain on the understanding of salvation as
“salvation of the soul from sin” only.  This “spiritualized” idea of salvation is
the reason why some Christians tend to dichotomize their faith and their way
of life.  They are devout Christians only during Sundays.  They attend the
Eucharistic celebration and receive the sacraments and that’s all.  In their
day to day life one will not see a trace of being a Christian.  As a result,
religion becomes unrealistic and over-spiritualized.  It involves only the
spiritual aspect of human life and excludes efforts to bring the Christian
identity into all the strata of human life – economic, social, political and
even cultural.  Thus, there are members of the Church who call themselves
Christians and yet do not see the relevance and connection of their faith to
their economic, social, political, and cultural life.
 
This idea of salvation as concrete is the very foundation and reason
for the existence of a body of teaching in the Church that we now
commonly call as social teaching of the Church or STC.  It is founded on a
concept of salvation that is more of Kaginhawahan rather than Kaligtasan.  
The term kaginhawahan more accurately captures the idea of a salvation that
brings life, peace, joy, health, the Spirit of God in and among human
beings, resurrection, glory, and a reborn and transformed cosmos.
 
In Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI speaks of this idea of salvation as
“liberation from everything that oppresses human beings; but specially
liberation from sin and the evil one; in the joy of knowing God and being
known by Him" (EN, 9). This liberation in the framework of the Church’s
specific mission cannot be contained in the simple and restricted dimension
of economics, politics, social or cultural life; it must envisage the whole
person, in all aspects, right up to and including the openness to the
absolute, even the divine absolute (EN, 33).
           
The bishops of Latin America also speak of the same two elements of
salvation:  “The first is liberation from all forms of bondage from personal
and social sin, and from everything that tears apart the human individual
and society . . . the second element is liberation for progressive growth in
being through communion with God and other human beings: this reaches
its culmination in the perfect communion of heaven, where God is all in all
and weeping forever ceases” (Puebla Document 480-483).
 
It may be concluded that this kind of salvation or kaginhawahan is not
only a salvation or liberation from something but also it is a salvation for
something new  – a human life that is open to God and to fellow human
beings as expressed in their relationship and in their collaboration in
bringing about the realization of the Kingdom of God here and now. 
 
  The Spirituality of Social Transformation
 
The social mission of the Church to bring kaginhawahan  to the society
demands a life-long process of social transformation.  Decades of Church
social action apostolate and social work by different organizations have
helped improve our social condition but still a great deal must be done. 
            The PCP II offers us suggestions on how to effectively respond to
the demand for social transformation.  It teaches that
The most basic and effective response . . . come [sic] only from
the very depths of our being as disciples of the Lord, in our
attentiveness to the Holy Spirit whose movements are also to be
discerned in the events and situations of our day, in our
following of Jesus, in our fidelity to his Gospel of Justice and
Love and thus, in our spirituality  (PCP II, 262).  
 
The PCP II suggests a way of life, a spirituality which may be labeled
as "spirituality of social transformation" as the means towards attaining the
kind of community that we envision.
 
     Spirituality  may be understood as the inspiration within a person to
live a particular way of life based on his beliefs or religious conviction.  It
may also refer to a person's religious or ethical values that serve as the
foundation for his actions and decisions.  Christian spirituality, on the other
hand is defined by the CBCP as the "call to all the members of the Christian
community to live and think, to make judgments and always discern in
relation to God, in the light of the Gospel, and the teaching of the Church." 
In other words, it is  an expression of our fidelity to Jesus' Gospel of Justice
and Love.  It demands a "radical living of what we preach, a witnessing to
the radical demands of the Gospel"  (PCP II, 282).  PCP II (275-282) further
describes Christian spirituality as a following of "Jesus-in-mission" or
journeying in the Spirit of Jesus.   This kind of spirituality as it is being
lived out by the Filipinos may be labeled as Filipino Christian spirituality.  
 
 Social transformation, on the other hand, may be described as the
effort to bring harmony or kaayusan (PCPII) in our society.  It is a process
that seeks to heal and liberate the society from its social problems and
injustices and transform it into a more humane society. 
 
Hence, Christian spirituality of social transformation is a life-long task of
responding to the challenge of Jesus' Gospel of Justice and Love by
committing oneself to the mission of adjusting the social order to the
"radical demands" of the Christian faith.
 

Elements of Spirituality of Social Transformation

PCP II (278-282) enumerates the following major elements of the
spirituality of social transformation:
1.  Enduring and intimate commitment to Jesus
Commitment to Jesus entails following his example of commitment to
love not only those who love us but even our enemies.  An important
characteristic of this love is its preference for the poor and marginalized
and the recognition of Jesus' presence among them.
 2.  Seeking of the Kingdom of God
Spirituality of social transformation is characterized by continuous
effort to make justice present and eliminate the different forms of
oppression that hinder the realization of the Kingdom of God in the
society.    
 3.  Sharing the Good News joy
Jesus' Gospel is good news of hope that brings contentment and joy to
those who believe.  It gives us the assurance that in the end, goodness will
prevail over evil.  It gives us the joy in the realization that Jesus, the "God-
with-us" remains with us in the midst of sadness and joy, laughter and
tears, victories and defeats.
 4.  Heeding God's Word
To live the spirituality of social transformation is to discern and follow
the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures, in the teaching of the Church
and in the experience of the faithful gathered together as a Church.
  

External Manifestation of Spirituality of

Social Transformation
            Christian spirituality of social transformation (SST) may also be
called "Christian discipleship".  Living out our Christian faith in our society
should necessarily   entail a social dimension that will eventually transform
the society into a just and humane society.  The Gospel has a social
dimension.  It is impossible to be a real disciple of Christ while being at the
same time unmindful of the injustices and oppressions happening in the
society or worse while being the cause of injustices and oppressions. 
Externally, spirituality of social transformation is manifested in two ways:
          1.  Social Service
Social service is commonly understood as helping someone in need. 
It is an action rooted in charity and compassion with the intention of
alleviating the misfortune and suffering of another person.    The corporal
works of mercy comprises the list of actions for social service though it is
not limited to it.  Thus, social service is a response to the effects of a social
problem.
2.  Social Action
Social action includes efforts to correct the social structures and help
solve the problems that perpetuate the need for social service.  Some call it
social justice, action for justice or Christian social praxis.  It begins with an
analysis of and reflection on the human experience through the lens of the
Gospel and proceeds to finding and providing general suggestions to solve
the different social problems.  Unlike social service that responds to the
effects of the problem, social action responds to the cause of the social
problem.
 


1 it evaluates and adapts the social teaching of the church to the present issues on labor –
rerum

allowing or directly participating in social evils is an example of this kind of social sin- silful
attitude
it emphasized the need for a greater- redemptor hominis

denouncing corruption- true

is understood as “the effort to fully – social analysis

it is the title of the document- justice in the world

one of the following is not included- prudence

medical missions- true

the modern day presentation- rerum

Social ____ is commonly understoon – service

Social analysis is indispensable- true

It is an example—actively participating in comm

Government policies- sinful structure

Neutrality- true

This document- christut vivit

Pope pius- false

it highlight the recognition of the sacred value of human life- ecclessiia in asia EVANGELIUM
VITAE

Question 1
 It evaluates and adapts the social teaching of the Church to the present issues on
labor. Rerum LABOREM
Score: 0 out of 1 No

Question 2
 Allowing or directly participating in social evils is an example of this kind of social sin.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes
Question 3
 It emphasized the need for a greater emphasis for the care of the environment.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 4
 Denouncing corruption, injustice, and inequality in our country is an example of fulfilling
our prophetic mission.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 5
 _____ is understood as “the effort to fully understand a particular social situation".
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 6
 It is the title of the document that focused on justice and was published by the Synod of
Bishops in 1971.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 7
 One of the following is not included in the elements of "peace" discussed in the class.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 8
 Medical missions are examples of activities under the Kingly mission.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 9
 The modern day presentation of the social teaching of the Church started with this
document.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 10
 Social _____ is commonly understood as helping someone in need.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 11
 Social analysis is indispensable in the fulfillment of our social mission as Christians.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 12
 It is an example of "social action". actively participating in comm actively participating in
comm ACTIVE PARTICIPATING IN VOTERS
Score: 0 out of 1 No

Question 13
 Government policies that perpetuate poverty and disregard the welfare and rights of the
poor are examples of this kind of social sin.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 14
 Neutrality or remaining silent in the midst of oppression and injustice is also a form of
social sin.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 15
 This document is addressed particularly to the youth but also to the entire people of
God. It highlights the message of the Word of God to the young people and provides the
young with role models, most specially, Jesus as a youth.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 16
 Pope Pius XI wrote the first social encyclical to respond to the problem of slavery
during the 18th century.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 17
 It highlights the recognition of the sacred value of human life. EVANGELIUM VITAE
Score: 0 out of 1 No

________ IS A KIND OF SOCIAL SIN – PERSONAL SIN

in this document – universal call – GAUDETE ET

THIS STEP IN THE CYCLE- THEOLOGICAL

IN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DREAM COMMUNITY- TRUE FALSE

IT IS THE TEACHING AUTHORITY- MAGISTERIUM

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE CONTENTS- SPECIFIC SUGGESTION

THE PROPHETIC MISSION OF EVERY CHRISTINA- PROCLAMATION

ONE OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH-

MAKAMAHIRAP

Is the step in the cycle of social praxis that sses the reality – experience

CSDC – COMPENDIUM

MORAL PRINCIPLES THAT CAN BE KNOWN- MORA LAW

STC TEACHES- FALSE TRUE

Question 1
 It is the title of the document that focused on justice and was published by the Synod of
Bishops in 1971.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 2
 Social analysis is indispensable in the fulfillment of our social mission as Christians.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 3
 _____ is a kind of social sin that exists when there is a habitual pattern of human
interactions infected by sin, selfishness, injustice, pride, greed, hatred and the like.
Score: 0 out of 1 No

Question 4
 It highlights the recognition of the sacred value of human life.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 5
 In this document, the pope highlights the universal call to holiness. He emphasized that
all the faithful are called to become witnesses of faith in our present social context.
Whatever condition or state we are in, we are called by the Lord – each in his or her
own way – to be holy.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 6
 This step in the cycle of Christian social praxis involves meditating on the will of God for
us.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 7
 In the characteristics of the dream community of the Church, a person who may be
considered "alive" is always "life-giving".
Score: 0 out of 1 No

Question 8
 It is the teaching authority of the Church.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 9
 Which one of the following is not part of the contents of the social teaching of the
Church?
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 10
 The prophetic mission of every Christian means _______
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 11
 One of the following is not included in the characteristics of the Church's dream for the
community.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 12
 Medical missions are examples of activities under the Kingly mission.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 13
 _____ is the step in the cycle of social praxis that sees the reality or the situation as it
is.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 14
 Government policies that perpetuate poverty and disregard the welfare and rights of the
poor are examples of this kind of social sin.
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes
Question 15
 CSDC stands for:
Score: 1 out of 1 Yes

Question 16
 Moral principles that can be known through the use of reason is called ____________.
Score: 0 out of 1 No

Question 17
 STC teaches that in the Philippines, poverty is caused by social sin, primarily,
corruption and unequal distribution of wealth.
Score: 0 out of 1 
 It evaluates and adapts the social teaching of the Church to the present issues on
labor.
Score: 0 out of 1 
Laborem Exercens

Question 2
 _____ is a kind of social sin that exists when there is a habitual pattern of human
interactions infected by sin, selfishness, injustice, pride, greed, hatred and the like.
Score: 0 out of 1 
Sinful Structure

Question 3
 According to the social teaching of the Church, when injustice happens in our midst, we
should just keep quiet so that we don't get involved and for the sake of our safety.
Score: 1 out of 1 
FALSE
Question 4
 This is the first social encyclical published in 1891.
Score: 1 out of 1 
rerum novarum

Question 5
 The external manifestations of the spirituality of social transformation are social service
and _____
Score: 1 out of 1 
social action

Question 6
 Denouncing corruption, injustice, and inequality in our country is an example of fulfilling
our prophetic mission.
Score: 1 out of 1 
True

Question 7
 This document is addressed particularly to the youth but also to the entire people of
God. It highlights the message of the Word of God to the young people and provides the
young with role models, most specially, Jesus as a youth.
Score: 0 out of 1 
christus vivit 

Question 8
 In this document, the pope highlights the universal call to holiness. He emphasized that
all the faithful are called to become witnesses of faith in our present social context.
Whatever condition or state we are in, we are called by the Lord – each in his or her
own way – to be holy.
Score: 1 out of 1 
Gaudete et Exsultate

Question 9
 This encyclical was published on the 100th anniversary of Rerum Novarum.
Score: 0 out of 1 
Centesimus Annus

Question 10
 One of the following is not included in the elements of peace as discussed in the class.
Score: 1 out of 1 
patriotism

Question 11
 It is the teaching authority of the Church.
Score: 0 out of 1 
Magisterium

Question 12
 Neutrality or remaining silent in the midst of oppression and injustice is also a form of
social sin.
Score: 1 out of 1 
True

Question 13
 All the steps in the cycle of Christian social praxis revolve around _____
Score: 1 out of 1 
prayer
Question 14
 One of the following is not included in the characteristics of the Church's dream for the
community.
Score: 1 out of 1 
makamahirap

Question 15
 Institutions that are unjust and disregard human rights are examples of this type of
social sin.
Score: 0 out of 1 
Sinful Structure 

Question 16
 _____ serves as a tool that helps us to understand the social realities we are dealing
with.
Score: 1 out of 1 
Social analysis 

Question 17
 This encyclical aims to unite the people of the world in caring for the only planet we
have as our “common home”.
Laudato Si

It was published on the 80th anniversary of Rerum Novarum. 

 Octagesima Adveniens

It is the title of the document that focused on justice and was published by the Synod of Bishops
in 1971. 
 Justice in the World 

Allowing or directly participating in social evils is an example of this kind of social sin.
  Sinful Attitude


The prophetic mission of every Christian means _____. 

Proclamation of Christian message of peace 

This step in the cycle of Christian social praxis involves meditating on the will of God for us.
Theological Reflection 

This document highlights the role of faith in guiding the activities of modern man. It holds that
without faith, “we will lose our mutual trust and be united only by fear”, thus, faith must illuminate
all social relations.
 Lumen Fidei 
The root cause of poverty is unequal distribution of wealth. True

 Which one of the following is not included among the basic sources of the STC?
Encyclicals     

 In the characteristics of the dream community of the Church, a person who may be
considered "alive" is always "life-giving".
 False

. One of the following is not included in the elements of “peace” discussed in class.
Prudence

It is an example of “social action”. 

Active participating in activities for voters’ education

. This step in the cycle of Christian social praxis asks the questions: What’s behind the
social issue/problem? What are its causes? 
Social Analysis

. It exposed the evils of communism. Divini Redemptoris 

. It emphasized the need for the state to recognize the freedom of religion.
 Summi Pintificatus

. Medical missions are example of activities under the kingly mission. True 

He was the Pope who published Rerum Novarum in 1891. Pope Leo XIII 

 It highlights the recognition of the sacred value of human life. Evangelium Vitae

Allowing or directly participating in social evils is an example of this kind of social sin.
Sinful Attitude

The modern day presentation of the social teaching - Rerum Novarum

The document which reminds us that love is at the heart of the social teaching of the
church and charity “needs to be understood, confirmed and practiced in the light of
truth.” Caritas in Veritate