Tom O'Brien is a social ethicist by training, and more
narrowly, a student of Catholic social theory and public theology. He has also
recently done some work in business and professional ethics, ecological ethics,
as well as GLBTQ issues. O'Brien has published two books in the area of
business ethics. The first was an edited volume called, Religious Perspectives on Business Ethics: An Anthology (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006). In 2014, he published Good Business: Catholic Social Teaching at Work in the Marketplace (Anselm Academic, 2014), which
applies Catholic social thought to common ethical issues that arise in business
and the larger economy. O’Brien is increasingly
linking his studies of social ethics to issues of environmental destruction and
ecological breakdown. He is also the Managing Editor of a peer-reviewed
academic journal titled, The Journal of Religion and Business Ethics.
In addition, O'Brien serves as the Director of the Center for Religion, Culture and Community,
which hosts multiple events, forums and celebrations of diverse religious
cultures that reflect the multiple traditions that define the DePaul community.
Research Interests
- Catholic Social Thought
- Critical Social Theory
- Environmental Ethics
- Ultimate Evil
- Homelessness
Courses Frequently Taught
REL 183 Themes in Catholic Social Thought
REL 226 Technology, Ethics and Society
REL 228 Business, Ethics and Society
REL 283 Roman Catholic Social Thought in Context