Book excerpt: Poverty. The environment. The family. Education. Freedom of religion. What is the role of the State in promoting human flourishing in light of unprecedented challenges to the very fabric of society?The State in Catholic Thought(recommended by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J., in Another Sort of Learning) is a masterful survey of the development of the Church's teaching on the relationships between the nation-state and individuals, families, and local and international communities. Rommen examines the state as a "moral organism" and its purpose in light of the natural law. In thistour de forceof the contributions of Augustine, Aquinas, Suarez, Bellarmine, and Popes throughout the ages, Rommen foreshadows the encyclicals of St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI and brings the light of Catholic thought to bear on today's most pressing issues. Professor Bruce Frohnen's Introduction sets Rommen and his work in political and intellectual context, brilliantly encapsulating Rommen's analysis and the importance of hismagnum opusin assisting readers to find the means of renewing a more just political and social order."