Sardaryan G.T. Concept, essence and main stages of Catholic social doctrine development

Abstract:   The subject of the research is the conceptual framework and the essential content of Catholic social doctrine as a factor of political influence in the world. Particular attention is paid to the periodization of the doctrine's stages of development, the importance of the doctrine in conditions of apparent increase of the influence of religious factors on the political processes in the world. On the background of global political, economic and social change throughout the world, it becomes obvious that the religious factor plays a key role in trying to determine the cause of succesfull building of democratic countries in some parts of the world, and the inability to establish basic institutions of public authority in another. Catholic church, with the largest number of adherents in the world is certainly a factor that significantly influenced the modern political map of the world. The novelty of the research consists in a number of fundamentally new approaches offered by the author. In particular, the author introduces the concept of periodization of the development of Catholic social teaching that is different from the traditionally accepted in the Western scientific community.

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