Ebook
Finally, a political economist with the lived experience and academic background necessary to explain Pope Francis's disdain for today's rightwing ideologies of populism, nationalism, authoritarianism, and unrestrained capitalism, as expressed in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti. Written for both Catholics and non-Catholics, for those of any faith and no faith, and for academics and non-academics, this is the book you've been waiting for if you want to understand the intersection of politics and religion in the era of global Trumpism and to comprehend the suffering caused by these ideologies in the world today. Recognizing the deep divide on matters of truth and the profound hurt caused by our polarized society, Murray Brux explains how compassionate encounters and truth-telling can bring healing to a broken world and its suffering people. Written in a fully comprehensible manner, this is a book in the tradition of Catholic social justice at its best!
“Jacqueline Murray Brux has a passion for social justice with no fear of confronting wrongs and calling out political hypocrisy regardless of party affiliation in this country and countries around the world. She is a prophet for our time, and this book bears witness to no easy solutions to world problems except to speak the truth and a call to work together for the common good. As I often say in church, ‘She got it right.’”
—Gerald Harris, pastor, St. Joseph Church and Our Lady of Lakes
“As one of Jacqueline Murray Brux’s former students, I can assure you that her research is thorough. She has a knack for making complicated topics easy to understand. She shows us how compassion, seeing people for who they are, and helping them be their best selves can heal fragmented societies.”
—Sarah Nigbor, editor, Pierce County Journal
“A Populist, a Pope, and the Soul of a Nation is a must-read for anyone who would understand the moral and spiritual peril of America’s alarming descent toward authoritarianism. Jacqueline Murray Brux hearteningly and concisely unpacks the Pope’s hopeful vision of a world united in true brotherhood and sisterhood. Like Francis himself, she is a great truth-teller.”
—Thomas R. Smith, author of Medicine Year
Jacqueline Murray Brux is an honored emeritus professor of economics and the founder and director of the Center for International Development at the University of Wisconsin—River Falls. She is the author of the college economics textbook Economic Issues and Policy (2022), now in its 8th edition, and she has worked and researched across the world in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. She is a lifelong Catholic social justice activist.