Read a June 29, 2009, article at the First Things Web site, “Economic Heresies of the Left,” by Michael Novak. Novak is considered a conservative Catholic writer who defends capitalism in this essay and elsewhere against interpretations of papal teachings that some say criticize the capitalist system.

Read a July 1, 2009, Religion News Service article, “Groundbreaking economic encyclical on the way,” by Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokesperson for the USCCB. It’s posted at the USCCB media blog site.

The media blog at the Web site of the United States Conference of Catholic bishops has a “Social Encyclical Primer” that sets out the history of papal encyclicals on social justice themes.

Read commentary at InsideCatholic by Deal Hudson from July 20, 2009, who has consulted on Catholic issues for Republican officials.

Read a July 7, 2009, analysis by the Rev. Thomas Reese, posted at The Washington Post site. Reese is a leading commentator on church issues.

Read a July 7, 2009, analysis by John L. Allen Jr. of National Catholic Reporter.

Read a July 7, 2009, analysis by the Rev. Drew Christiansen, editor of the Jesuit weekly America and a leading Catholic social ethicist.

Read the official Vatican text of the encyclical in English.

Peter Laarman of Los Angeles is executive director of Progressive Christians Uniting and an ordained United Church of Christ minister. He is editor of the just-published Getting on Message: Challenging the Christian Right from the Heart of the Gospel (Beacon Press, 2006) and knows a lot of other groups active on this subject.