The book by the German cardinal and theologian is one of the key tools to understand the field. In China, from Mao until now, the Church has had many difficulties to upgrade its approach to Christian social doctrine and theology. The book can be downloaded from Ordo Socialis.
Rome (AsiaNews) – The Chinese translation of Christliche Gesellschaftslehre, a fundamental work to understand the Church's social doctrine, is now online and can be downloaded free of charge by anyone interested. It is published by Ordo Socialis, an academic association for the promotion of Christian social teaching.
The book, whose title translates as ‘Christian social doctrine’, was published for the first time in German in 1962. The author is the late Cardinal Joseph Hoeffner, a German theologian, considered one of the fathers of the modern doctrine.
The Chinese translation is based on an edition updated the 2000 (the author passed away in 1987). The print version is no longer available and the Chinese publisher, VI Horae, no longer exists.
Upgrading Christian social doctrine and theology are of primary importance to the Chinese Church, which has been unable to engage in in-depth studies in these fields since the rise of Maoism – before the Second Vatican Council – and isolation imposed by government until 1980s.
Despite restrictions and censorship, things seem to be progressing more smoothly since the start of the millennium.