"Elmar Nass makes a plea for Christian social ethics. He shows that social ethics based on Christian tradition is a moral compass that provides orientation in all social issues. His classification addresses the pressing challenges of our time and contributes to a global understanding of ethical principles."
— Karl-Josef Laumann, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) and Chairman for Germany of the Christian Democratic Employees' Association (CDA)
"This Christian social-ethical milestone on the justification and huge challenges of a free social order convincingly profiles theology as a social science with global appeal."
— Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne
"Elmar Nass has written an important book for our present and future world. In the face of the turbulence, global challenges, and worldwide violence and crises, we need orientations for a social and ethical togetherness—beyond religious boundaries!"
— Silke Geithner, Rector of the Protestant University of Applied Sciences, Dresden, Germany
"Elmar Nass provides a comprehensive, fundamental work, continuing the traditional natural law approach but also exploring its suitability for the future. He provides important standards for the assessment of current problems . . . This is a book that is likely to have a significant impact on the scholarly discussion of social ethics in the coming years.”
— Christian Müller, Professor of Economics at the Center for Interdisciplinary Economic Research (CIW) at the University of Münster
“In a time when Christian ethics is losing ground in society, this book offers a superb approach of a qualitative ethics of principles and values for the social order in the Catholic tradition. It argues for a liberal order that takes into account alternative worldviews and that gives orientation for tangible social issues.”
— Johannes Eurich, Chair of the International Society for the Study of Diaconia and Christian Social Practice and Professor at Heidelberg University, Germany
“Reading this book makes it immediately clear why a liberal social order is based on well-founded values that it does not generate by itself. The Christian ideas of man, dignity and society are presented as convincing foundations of our society, on the basis of which many very concrete social questions can be answered in a very insightful an inviting way.”
— Dr. Franz-Josef Overbeck, Roman Catholic Bishop of Essen, Military Bishop for the German Armed Forces, Bishop Delegate and VP of COMECE, and Chair of the Commission for Doctrine and Faith of the German Bishops Conference
"Contains very concrete positions from a theological-ethical point of view that are important for the discussion of social and economic ethics issues.”
— Martin Dabrowski, Lecturer in Economics, Social Ethics and Media, Akademie Franz Hitze Haus, Muenster (Germany)
“This book is an extraordinarily comprehensive and, at the same time, profound presentation of Catholic social doctrine’s basic principles, fundamental references, controversies, and fields of application. ‘Imagine there is a God’ is the starting point of Nass’ self-confident conviction that Christians, with their ‘substantive social ethics,’ have something valid to say to the world and are serious partners in ethical disputes. This work is indispensable for all those who aim at being well-informed about the contents and the reasons for the Church’s teachings on the most discussed social questions.”
— Andrzej Kuciński, is a priest of the archdiocese of Cologne (Germany)
"The Christian concept of man and society are the pillars of Ludwig Erhard's idea of a free and humane economic and social order. Elmar Nass presents this value-humus as a universal claim, which makes the liberal society resilient against the needy paradigms of social inhumanity."
— Ludwig Schick, Archbishop of Bamberg
“Christian social ethics are desperately needed. To formulate them today means also to be aware of the roots of other ethical views based on belief systems or philosophical traditions. Elmar Nass gives an overview grounded in his deep understanding of this difficult topic and the gift of differentiation that the ancient church fathers called with the Latin term discretio. Studying it will provide the reader with a roadmap of Christian social ethics and the ability to understand that it is different because it is based on Him who is the way, the truth, and the life itself.”
— Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, former President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum
“Elmar Nass’s book is a heartening reminder that there are still Catholic theologians in Germany who stand up to the zeitgeist in society and ecclesiastic institutions and do so with erudition and strength. This book unapologetically bases Christian social ethics on Jesus Christ’s mandate to sanctify the world. It is an important contribution to renewing Catholic social thought also in the English-speaking world.”
— Martin Schlag, JD, STD, Center for Catholic Studies/Opus College of Business at University of St. Thomas
“The relevance of Christian ideology for modern society is often controversial. Nass offers a concrete and differentiated explanation for the remaining high relevance of central Christian aspects and how social interactions still benefit from this fundament.”
— Dr. Stefanie Scholz, Professor of Data Science for Social Economy & Vice President Research and Internationalisation, SRH Wilhelm Loehe University of Applied Sciences
"This book provides a profound and up-to-date confrontation of Christian social thought with modern ethical theories. A must-read for anyone concerned with the contribution of Christian ethics to current moral issues in business, economics, and society."
— Prof. Dr. Jörg Althammer, Chair for Economic Ethics and Social Policy at Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt
Elmar Nass's book illustrates the potential of social ethics in the Catholic tradition for secularised and multi-religious societies. The author develops a Christian-based concept of human dignity and highlights interreligious points of contact and interfaces with secular philosophy. He provides examples of application to various social and economic challenges, ranging from social justice and good leadership to topics such as family life, organ donation and euthanasia. Altogether, the clear Christian positionings on central normative debates of the present indicate the relevance of Catholic social teaching in the world of today and, furthermore, offer bridges for non-Catholic and non-religious readers.
— Christian Hecker, business ethicist
Nass’ work is insightful, rich and engaging. He sets out an excellent and reflective diagnose of different social values in religions and worldviews while exploring the reasons and possibilities for constructive dialogues with Christian ethics.
— Prof. Dr. Annette Franke, Evangelical University of Ludwigsburg, Germany
“This book by Elmar Nass meets the challenge of our times. Starting with Catholic social teaching, he turns to a dialogue with other positions of social ethics by using theology, philosophy and the social sciences. A bridge between classical and modern approaches of Christian social ethics.”
— Johannes Zabel OP, Chairman of the Joseph-Höffner-Gesellschaft for Christian Social Ethics, Germany
“This book boldly presents the Christian idea of salvation as an anthropology of which its values make up a convincing social ethic to face the postmodern challenge of global justice."
— Prof. Dr. Theology (Dogmatics) Alberto Anguiano, Rector of the Pontifical University of México
“In order to put the free democratic social order on a stable foundation of values, Elmar Nass brings the Christian ideas of man and society back into the conversation."
— Professor (emeritus) Dr. H.C. Joachim Starbatty, Universität Tübingen, member of European Parliament, 2014–2019
“Self-confident without polemics, open for dialogue with secular worldviews and other religions beyond platitudes: Elmar Nass sketches a rich and timely panorama of Christian social ethics that should not only interest devout Christians. The book demonstrates how the Christian tradition can be a partner for a global humanistic ethics and impresses with original perspectives on major problems of our time.”
— Assoc. Prof. Marie-Luisa Frick, Department of Philosophy, University of Innsbruck
Nass looks at how Christian values are key to understanding and overcoming many of the global issues threatening our society today, and he presents a full-throated and robust argument as to why Christians must stand up to secularization. In this groundbreaking work, Nass presents a powerful Christian social ethic system that can not only restore our society in the short term but can also be applied as a template for overcoming new challenges that will arise in the future.
— Western New York Catholic
This text will be of direct interest to theological ethicists, particularly those who specialize in the socio-ethical and cultural context issues of Germany and Europe. It will also be useful to those seeking a framework for addressing many of the socio-political and economic concerns facing humanity presently.
— Studies in Christian Ethics