Over the past centuries, economic thought has developed in such a manner as to allow for diverse theoretical approaches to social issues. For instance, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Thorstein Veblen, and Peter Kropotkin each maintained vastly different views regarding economic life. However, the purpose of this research is to examine commonalities in the works of the aforesaid authors, with specific attention paid to their notions of work, wages and technology. In doing so, the framework of Catholic Social Teaching is used as a backdrop with which common threads may be sewn among these authors with seemingly contradictory theories. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that the Catholic Church certainly adheres to different economic recommendations than those prescribed by these other thinkers. In other words, while it may appear that some similarities exist between Catholic Social Teaching and the other writers investigated in this research, there are clearly discrepancies as well. One of the primary disparities lies in the manner in which the Catholic Church views its role throughout history, which is quite distinct from the perspectives of the other theorists examined in this research. This analysis will be undertaken through the application of Institutional Economic theory, which provides the theoretical basis for understanding the economics of the Catholic Church.