Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States

by Massimo Faggioli

A powerful examination of the role of Catholicism in US politics and in the life of Joseph R. Biden

After a dramatic election amid a raging pandemic, racial violence, economic collapse, and historic national divisions that have threatened our democracy, Joe Biden succeeds Donald Trump as the 46th president of the United States. For Catholics, this is a momentous occasion in US public life, as he is the second Catholic to be elected to the nation’s highest office, joining John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

In 2021, Joe Biden becomes president in a very different situation than Kennedy's America. Today, Catholics play a much broader and more visible role in the public life of our country, and the triangle of relations between the White House, the Vatican, and the US Catholic Church is an essential dimension for understanding the political and religious urgency of this moment in our history.

In this ground-breaking book, historian and theologian Dr. Massimo Faggioli provides an insightful overview of Catholicism in US politics, and its place as an anchor in the life of the man elected to lead the country at a decisive crossroads, an unprecedented moment in US history.

Genres: Politics, Religion, Catholic

161 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2021

About the author

Massimo Faggioli is professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University in Philadelphia.
He has written extensively on modern Church history: on Vatican II, on the new Catholic movements, on the papacy, and on the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. He has a column in "La Croix International" and in "Commonweal".
His books and essays have translated in more than ten languages.

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massimo Faggioli put into words the things I have been pondering since the election of Donald Trump and the rise of the conservative/fundamentalist sect of the US Catholic Church. I am inspired and hope to learn more about the political and theological challenges facing the US Catholic Church today.

[Joe Boenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massimo Faggioli, Italian theologian now working in the USA, is writing more about Catholicism in the USA at the moment of Joe Biden's election to the presidency rather than a biographical study of the 46th President. Biden was the first Catholic to serve as Vice-President, and only the second Catholic to serve as President of the USA. There were, in fact, only four Catholics who ran for President on major parties, and all of them Democrats. Al Smith in 1928 (he lost to Herbert Hoover); John F. Kennedy in 1960 (he defeated Richard Nixon), John Kerry in 2004 (defeated by George W. Bush, running for a second term), and Joe Biden in 2020 (who defeated the incumbent Donald Trump). In the first part of the book, author Faggioli surveys Catholic identities as they appeared over the period extending from 1928 to 2020.

In Chapter 3, Faggioli surveys American Catholicism as it has developed in the period leading up to and since the election of Pope Francis (2013). Many American Catholics, Faggioli demonstrates, are caught up in culture wars. Never before have so many American Catholics contested the magisterium of the pope as seemed to be the case in 2020. Chapter 4 explores how American Catholics find difficulties with globalization and readily mix religion and politics in their American world view.

The final chapter details the challenges that Joe Biden faces as President "between Past and Future American Catholicism". I find this chapter most interesting, not only for Faggioli's treatment of Joe Biden and his Catholic practice in the American context, but also for the author's analysis of the sober challenges articulated by Pope Francis in the face of what may be the most bitter opposition any pope has faced since the 19th century. I find Faggioli's essay thought-provoking and worth the read.

[Clemens Suen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unbalanced Views of Both Biden & US Catholic Church

Even though the book captures quite truthfully the increasing polarizing theologies of the universal Church in general, and the theological and thus political discords among the American bishops, priests and lay people in particular, to link Biden‘s Catholicity to this tension is a stretch. There was little in-depth description of Biden’s faith journey. The fact that he quoted scriptures (assuming these words were not penned by his speech-writers) cannot prove that his personal faith is a personificaiton of Pope Francis‘ theology. The book used too many ’ism‘ which may over-simplify things and frustrate general readers like me. Some sentences are too long even though the book is rather short. In the spirit of the Vatican II, the people of God are not just hierarchy of Vatican or USCCB. I wish the author would talk to more chuch-going, grass-root people on this subject, namely, politics and faith, in this country for a reality check.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Scholarly but also opinionated. Given the title, there were no surprises here except that the book seemed to be more about Catholicism in the United States than about Biden. Also, I could not tell who the intended audience is. Catholics who voted for Biden is my guess.

[BJ Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faggioli’s little book—or was it a very long article?—made me think: what are the differences in the context, content and expression of the faith of the four Catholic men who’ve run for US President? How has the ‘Catholic question’ changed in the 21st century US, and above all, what does all of that look like from a global perspective—the last question being a necessary corrective to the US tendency to see itself at the center of history and the moral universe.

Faggioli perfectly characterizes Pope Francis and President Biden as the somewhat unexpected heads of failed empires, both needing to find meaningful new roles on the world’s stage in the face of formidable opposition. I don’t share Faggioli’s optimism in Biden’s public practice of this faith, which Faggioli describes as non-intellectual, but not anti-intellectual, popular, with pop culture overtones. I don’t think such a faith is strong enough to stand up to the pretentious claims of authority of those Faggioli characterizes with a slew of labels: neo-conservative, neo-traditionalist, neo-Constantinian, neo-integralist. A non-intellectual, pop-culture-tinged faith can no more address the complicated, vexing moral issues of our day than can a faith that seeks only to condemn or canonize public life, with no nuance or even real engagement.

That is, in the end, what I seek: not just the ‘grown up’ Catholicism of which Faggioli approves, but a thinking Catholicism, one that turns a critical and discerning eye on all of human experience while at the same time holding in its heart the love and mercy of God. This is, I’m afraid, a rare find—and although I don’t quite reach the same conclusions, I appreciate that Faggioli engaged in just this process.

[Don Heiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Villanova University Theology/Religious Studies Professor Massimo Faggioli in 2021 released through Bacardi Inc his book “Joe Biden and Catholicism in the United States.” This book explores the many influences that shape American political/social values and the neo-traditional forces that affect American Catholic beliefs and practices. The interplay between right to life, capital punishment, racism, staggering amount of covid pandemic deaths, scandals, and economic collapse will redefine how an American Catholic President, a forward thinking Catholic Pope with Latin American and Jesuit roots, and a world of suffering people become one in love and care for all. Professor Faggioli’s book is thoughtful and very relevant for our current times. His footnotes are also very helpful to readers that want to expand their understandings of how America’s new Catholic President will succeed during these chaotic times. I recommend readers use the book’s blank end-pages for writing page notes to help compensate for the book’s lack of a topic index. (P)

[Ian Maclay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massimo Faggioli adeptly at navigates the cultural, theological & political complexities that ail relations between American & global Catholicism. Faggioli contrasts illiberal Catholic intellectuals & culture (Orban, Dreher, et al) from the essentially Maritainian era preceding it when Catholicism not only worked out its compatibility with constitutional democracy but became one of democracies greatest allies. He gets into the relations between past presidents and popes on an International Relations level that I think an American born author wouldn’t have thought to include. He really articulates Joe Biden’s faith in the historical and present moment and then situates it within vast web of ways Catholicism & democracy could deteriorate, especially under the pressure cooker of polarization and radicalization especially among the US right in tandem with single issue bishops that can’t seem to see themselves outside the trenches of US culture wars.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the 5th book of Faggoili's that I have read. I turn to him when I look for greater understanding of our Church.
This book is a short book but it thoroughly explores Mr. Biden's challenges as a newly elected President. It is impossible to look at Mr. Biden's life without and examination of his faith. Both he and Pope Francis are working on the public stage on our behalf, all the while facing great challenges from within. Perhaps because Faggioli is Italian-born, it seems to me he is excellently suited for this exploration.
I will be re-reading as I continue to process what I have read.
Highly recommended for thinking people who look for greater understanding.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking. I only wish it was written in a lay person’s language so as to draw a greater following. It is written for academics, so have your dictionary handy.

A real indictment of church leadership, which was earned. Great insight into Biden’s role as our second Catholic President. Faggioli calls him the last grown up Catholic. If you are a fan of Vatican II you might find this book depressing.
Lots of contrasting between JohnPaul II/ Benedict and Pope Francis eras.

Much discussion of the interplay between church and state. The issues raised here need further discussion and the author only whets your appetite in this 150 page book.

[Carol Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because of the title and front cover, I expected this book to focus on, well, Joe Biden. Although it did not, every once in a while it would circle around to him. It did focus on the history of Catholicism in the United States, which is an interesting topic, and defined current difficulties, which border on a shism, with a part of the bishopric leadership denying Pope Francis' legitimacy. As a layperson reading this book, it felt like wading through a quagmire of unfamiliar language. It was difficult to decipher Faggioli's arguments. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend this book to a person who is not already submerged in thi area of study.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting take on both Joe and the church at this time in history. Yet, because of the title and front cover, I expected this book to focus on Joe. Although it did not, every once in a while he would get a mention.The main focus seemed to be the history of Catholicism in the USA, and defined current divisions bordering on a schism with some bishops denying dear Pope Francis' credibility. There was a lot of "churchy language" to look up! Although well written, it was difficult to understand without a dictionary and a re-read of many paragraphs.

[Americo Mendoza-Mori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

The book offers a good context on American Catholicism and it’s placed within the global sphere. From that point it connects with several events of Biden‘s personal and political life with what is currently happening at the Vatican and with the US bishops. Finally the book proposes opportunities and challenges for by then and Catholicism in the United States.

[Pam White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book about the state of Catholicism in the US, as well as the country. The author explains the similar challenges that both institutions face in the 21st Century, with concessions that problems from the past are absolutely influencing the present.

[JR Eftink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about Catholicism throughout the history of the United States presidency to today!!!

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great journalistic overview of Biden's Catholicism in the context of current church and US politics