Anthony L. Nicotera, JD, DSW, LCSW, in his chapter Love in Action: Service-Learning at the Intersection of Catholic Studies and Social Work, describes the project and work of Seton Hall’s Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy toward the development of pedagogical models that integrate Catholic Social Teaching with social work as a profession. Inspired by Gaudium et Spes and the Second Vatican Council, and the contemporary social thought and teachings of the Catholic faith, Seton Hall University’s Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy exists at the intersection of core commitments and principles of social work and Catholic studies/Catholic Social Thought, offering lectures, panel discussions, scholarship, research, publications, presentations, events, and core university courses, including service-learning internships, that explore the confluence of these core principles and values in action. Despite the natural synergy between social work and Catholic Social Thought, there are no known pedagogical models that integrate the two. In fact, prior to the founding of Seton Hall University’s double major in social work and Catholic studies, and the Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy, a review of the social work literature found only one article on the subject. The Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy gives life to Pope Francis’s call to institutions of higher learning to be engaged in the work of shaping environments of creative thinking and dismantling structures of injustice. It responds to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ ongoing mandate to intensify efforts to integrate Catholic teaching into the curriculum and broader life of our educational endeavors. Consistent with common core values, the Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy centers, and pays particular attention to, the experience, needs, and struggles of people who are most vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed. The Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy provides students with the tools—intellectual, practical, and spiritual—to actualize these common commitments. The Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy’s Social Work and Catholic Studies Service-Learning Internship interdisciplinary course, where students engage in community-based practice and learning in dialogue with academic learning and critical reflection in the classroom, embodies the Academy’s core commitments and provides an interdisciplinary model for other Catholic studies programs.

Love in Action: Service-Learning at the Intersection of Catholic Studies and Social Work

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2025年

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Anthony L. Nicotera

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Anthony L. Nicotera, JD, DSW, LCSW, in his chapter Love in Action: Service-Learning at the Intersection of Catholic Studies and Social Work, describes the project and work of Seton Hall’s Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy toward the development of pedagogical models that integrate Catholic Social Teaching with social work as a profession. Inspired by Gaudium et Spes and the Second Vatican Council, and the contemporary social thought and teachings of the Catholic faith, Seton Hall University’s Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy exists at the intersection of core commitments and principles of social work and Catholic studies/Catholic Social Thought, offering lectures, panel discussions, scholarship, research, publications, presentations, events, and core university courses, including service-learning internships, that explore the confluence of these core principles and values in action. Despite the natural synergy between social work and Catholic Social Thought, there are no known pedagogical models that integrate the two. In fact, prior to the founding of Seton Hall University’s double major in social work and Catholic studies, and the Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy, a review of the social work literature found only one article on the subject. The Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy gives life to Pope Francis’s call to institutions of higher learning to be engaged in the work of shaping environments of creative thinking and dismantling structures of injustice. It responds to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ ongoing mandate to intensify efforts to integrate Catholic teaching into the curriculum and broader life of our educational endeavors. Consistent with common core values, the Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy centers, and pays particular attention to, the experience, needs, and struggles of people who are most vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed. The Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy provides students with the tools—intellectual, practical, and spiritual—to actualize these common commitments. The Catholic Social Thought in Action Academy’s Social Work and Catholic Studies Service-Learning Internship interdisciplinary course, where students engage in community-based practice and learning in dialogue with academic learning and critical reflection in the classroom, embodies the Academy’s core commitments and provides an interdisciplinary model for other Catholic studies programs.