Counting the Cost

Clemens Sedmak is a professor of theology and Catholic social tradition advisor in the Institute for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a concurrent professor of social ethics and interim director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the Keough School of Global Affairs.  Kelli Reagan Hickey is a writer and student of Catholic Social Tradition. She serves as the director of formation for the Francesco Collaborative, a team inspired by the Economy of Francesco Movement and the emerging solidarity economy. She holds a degree in economics from Yale University and completed her graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

“Don’t tell me your values, show me your budget! A great line in this book! To be credible in its social teaching, the church must apply it to itself. This book is an important milestone in this endeavor. The faithful have every right to expect that their donations are spent wisely, according to best business practices, and in the spirit of Catholic social teaching.”Msgr. Martin Schlag, Moss endowed Chair for Catholic Social Thought, University of St. Thomas

• ContentsPreface   viiIntroduction   1Chapter OneShow Me Your Budget!Financial Decisions as Value Statements   13Chapter TwoBudgeting on the Ground   46Chapter ThreeA Theology of Budgeting?   76Chapter FourCatholic Social Teaching as a Compass   107Chapter FiveBudgeting as Discipleship: Four Guiding Principles   135A Compass for Financial Discerning   158The Kaleidoscope   163Bibliography   164