Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 320 pages
- Published by: Oxford University Press, USA November 27, 2003
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0195168852
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0195168853
-
Book Dimensions:
8.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
- Weighs: 9.1 ounces
From Publishers Weekly
Dolan, an emeritus professor at Notre Dame whose book The American Catholic Experience has become a standard work, here addresses the dialectic inherent in being simultaneously Catholic and American. In prose that is accessible, even basic, Dolan explores how American Catholics have swung between ideals of democratization (as when the nation's first bishop was elected, not appointed, in 1789) and Romanization (as when Catholics in the mid-19th century retreated into their own growing infrastructure of parochial schools and networks). Today, he says, both of these ideals are still present as some American Catholics embrace neo-traditionalism as a reaction against Vatican II and others feel that the current pope is too conservative. Throughout, Dolan teases out themes of nationality, gender, democracy and the Americanization of doctrine. His attention to the evolution of grassroots devotion is especially welcome, since too many books about American Catholicism concentrate on doctrine to the exclusion of popular piety.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
A brilliant study about the relationship between Catholicism and American democratic ideals, this timely book considers the historical foundations and subsequent evolutions of Catholicism's adaptation to and influence on American self-understanding. In an accessible text, Dolan (history, emeritus, Univ. of Notre Dame) explains how major doctrines and moral precepts have been significantly affected by democracy. Beginning with the American Revolution and ending with a postscript on the recent scandal of clergy sexual abuse, Dolan makes a clear case for the dynamic rhythm of religion and culture. Considerable attention is given to the themes of immigrant nationalities, religious freedom, and gender issues within the modern Catholic milieu. As the author of the acclaimed American Catholic Experience and former president of the American Catholic Historical Association, Dolan brings impeccable credentials to this work. This scholarly, well-documented, and lucidly written book is essential reading for all Americans interested in religion and politics. Wholeheartedly recommended.
John-Leonard Berg, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., Platteville Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Search for books at
