This was more of 3.5 stars for me than four. On the whole, this Encyclical is very thought provoking. It provides interesting philosophical statements on the varying natures of love and how they fit into Catholicism. It also provides an in depth explanation of the role of charity in contemporary society, especially for people of faith. While some of the Pope's points about the ability of the Church to delegate charity instead of engaging in charitable giving directly seemed questionable to me, on the whole it was a worthwhile and interesting read for anyone interested in religious doctrine or philosophy more generally regardless of your person relationship to religion.