David Beckmann is one of my favorite people. He leads Bread for the World, the world’s largest anti-hunger advocacy group, and was the recent winner of the World Food Prize–equivalent to a Nobel. Besides being a highly respected economist, he is also an ordained Lutheran minister, which enables him to speak intelligently about both faith and politics.
I got to meet David and share a handful of conversations last June in Washington D.C., and he was just as I thought he would be: brilliant, optimistic, biblically literate, and full of faith. A few months after we met, he released a new book, Exodus From Hunger (which I reviewed here) and has since been traveling the media circuit talking about the book and encouraing Christians to advocate on behalf of the poor and hungry.
Bread for the World is non-denominational, but they work closely with the JustFaith social-justice formation program found in many Catholic parishes. When I talked with David he shared his particular fondness of Catholic social teaching.
Well, in a recent interview with Catholic Sentinel, David made an even bolder statement, confirming the relevance and value of Catholic social teaching for all people. He also highlighted the admirable work of Catholic nuns:
Q: For an ordained Lutheran minister, your resume displays a lot of ecumenical and interfaith work as part of your job. What have you learned about the Catholic tradition that you didn’t pick up in your seminary days?
A: Well, I love Catholic social teaching, I follow Catholic social teaching really closely. I study Catholic social teaching a lot more devoutly than many Catholics do (laughs). I just think it’s a great resource, not just for the Roman Catholic Church, but for all — certainly all Christians … The Catholic Church … makes authoritative contemporary statements it thinks very carefully about. … Another thing that I’ve learned to love about the Catholic Church is Catholic religious women. I just think I’m concerned that so many Catholic religious women are old and their mortality may deprive our country of this tremendous cadre of deeply committed, deeply faithful serving people. They are wonderful. I like Catholic religious men, too, but Catholic religious women are a phalanx for social justice. They are wonderful.
Read the rest of the interview, which is great. May the Church continue to spread and develop this rich treasure of social teachings across the world!