Date Posted: 11/10/2009 CNR Hosts Founder's Day Faculty Staff Panel Discussion Pictured (l.-r.): Dr. Joan Bailey, Vice President for Mission & Identity, moderator of the Founder's Day Panel, with panelists Fr. Joseph Flynn, Chaplain; Dr. Elisabeth Brinkmann, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies; Dr. Roblyn Rawlins, Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Social Science Division; and Dr. Daniel Garcia, Assistant Professor of History. A faculty staff panel on Monday evening, November 9, concluded the Founder’s Day events for 2009. Dr. Elisabeth Brinkmann, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies; Fr. Joseph Flynn, Chaplain; Dr. Daniel Garcia, Assistant Professor of History; and Dr. Roblyn Rawlins, Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Social Science Division of the School of Arts & Sciences, spoke, and led a discussion on the topic “Caritas and Capitalism.” This interdisciplinary panel focused on Catholic social teaching and capitalism, responding to news coverage of how Archbishop Reinhard Marx’s book Das Kapital and Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) both suggest today's troubled economies need to reconnect with fundamental Christian values to be restored to health and that incorporating Catholic social teachings can help create a more just economy that provides for the common good. Dr. Garcia gave an overview of the historical development of capitalism in the United States from colonialism through neoliberalism. Dr. Rawlins spoke of how the social teachings of the Catholic Church and the ideas of Karl Marx share an emphasis on the primacy of meaningful work in securing human dignity. Fr. Flynn posed and suggested answers to the following questions: Has Catholic social teaching anything to say about capitalism?; Does capitalism have any redeeming qualities?; What does Caritas in Veritate  have to say about capitalism? Dr. Brinkmann discussed Catholic higher education generally and CNR specifically in the context of capitalist competition. The panel discussion was held in Romita Auditorium in the Mooney Center on the Main Campus. Return to news summary