In Search of an American Catholicism: A History of Religion and Culture in Tension

by Jay P. Dolan

For more than two hundred years American Catholics have struggled to reconcile their national and religious values. In this incisive and accessible account, distinguished Catholic historian Jay P. Dolan explores the way American Catholicism has taken its distinctive shape and follows how Catholics have met the challenges they have faced as New World followers of an Old World religion.
Dolan argues that the ideals of democracy, and American culture in general, have deeply shaped Catholicism in the United States as far back as 1789, when the nation's first bishop was elected by the clergy (and the pope accepted their choice). Dolan looks at the tension between democratic values and Catholic doctrine from the conservative reaction after the fall of Napoleon to the impact of the Second Vatican Council. Furthermore, he explores grassroots devotional life, the struggle against nativism, the impact and collision of different immigrant groups, and the disputed issue of gender.
Today Dolan writes, the tensions remain, as we see signs of a resurgent traditionalism in the church in response to the liberalizing trend launched by John XXIII, and also a resistance to the conservatism of John Paul II. In this lucid account, the unfinished story of Catholicism in America emerges clearly and compellingly, illuminating the inner life of the church and of the nation.
In this lucid account, the unfinished story of Catholicism in America emerges clearly and compellingly, illuminating the inner life of the church and of the nation.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Nonfiction, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Steven H]

AN EXCELLENT SURVEY OF CATHOLIC CHANGE IN THE U.S.

Historian Jay P. Dolan wrote in the Introduction to this 2002 book, “In 1981 I wrote an essay … My focus … was to examine how Catholicism changed over time as it interacted with American culture … I argued that in the 1790s and the 1890s American Catholics fell in love with modernity and in both instances they came away repentant. Then I asserted that in the post-Vatican II era Catholics were once again flirting with the modern world by adopting a more positive stance toward contemporary culture… this book represents a more fully developed argument of that 1981 essay. It is an interpretive exploration into the history and meaning of Catholicism in the United States. I believe American and Catholic represent two souls… The two fundamental strivings, to be both Catholic and American, have animated me throughout my life… This book examines the interaction of these very different traditions… I want to explore how American culture has shaped Catholicism… I look at doctrine, as well as other selected aspects of Catholicism, where I believe American culture has influenced, indeed changed, the way Catholics thought about these issues.” (Pg. 3-5)

He recounts, “Political democracy had … becom[e] a permanent feature of the Western world by 1830. In America the key event in this transition was the [American] Revolution… The world was turned upside down, and a new nation appeared… This transitional age transformed American Christianity in the same manner that it changed American political life. In rePg. 56)ligion as in politics the people’s choice became determinative. People sought to gain control over their own destiny, spiritual as well as political. Thus, they case aside any monopoly that sought to control their eternal life.” (Pg. 27-28)

He explains, “Anti-foreign and anti-Catholic, nativism was a powerful social movement that developed in the pre-Civil War period in response to the large influx of Catholic immigrants. Unprecedented and indeed unwelcome, such massive immigration changed the social profile of the nation. In the decade after 1845 three million immigrants arrived in the United States large numbers were Irish and Catholic.” (Pg. 56)

He summarizes, “In the middle decades of the nineteenth century Catholicism clearly evidenced both European and American cultural influences. It was neither a totally foreign institution as some of its critics argued, nor was it a very American church as some of its members had wished. It was a blending of both European and American cultures… as Catholics sought to come to terms with the emergence of modern America. The search for an American Catholicism still remained an elusive quest.” (Pg. 70)

He notes that in the later 19th century, “What happened in American Catholicism … is similar to what took place among … evangelically inclined Protestants [who] reacted very strongly against any modernist influence in religion. This opposition focused on the new theories about biblical inspiration… and most especially the theory of evolution…. Catholics also separated themselves intellectually from modern American culture and focused on strengthening the institutions of the church.” (Pg. 116-117) Later, he adds, “Eventually, Catholicism would become more international in its perspective and more sympathetic to modern culture and the variety of its expressions. This would weaken the Roman influence within Catholicism and usher in a reevaluation of Catholic though and piety. But this change would not occur until the 1950s and ‘60s.” (Pg. 126) He notes, “For both Polish and Mexicans being Catholic in America meant practicing a religion forged out of two cultural traditions. The attempt to force them to replace their traditional religious culture with an American style of religion would not succeed.” (Pg. 146)

He recounts, “The 1950s was a boom time for religion in America… Just about every denomination was expanding… In the vanguard of this cultural and religious awakening was the Catholic Church. Its expansion during this decade was remarkable… Seminaries were forced to expand as record numbers of young men chose to study for the priesthood. The contemplative live became especially attractive to men… over 1,000 monks were crowded into eleven Trappist monasteries in the United States. This development was unprecedented in the history of American Catholicism.” (Pg. 180-181)

He summarizes, “In the 1950s Catholicism exhibited a [two-face-like] appearance. One of its faces … as the ‘thriving, self-confident institution’… As the decade progressed, this face… began to lose its luster… The other face was associated with the new breed of Catholic… in search of a Catholicism more in tune with American culture… Catholicism was indeed ripe for change, and change it would…” (Pg. 189)

He states, “Snice the early twentieth century many Catholics had been urging others to break out of the enclave and… ‘practice their religion publicly as well as privately’… Clearly, the American Catholic community had entered a new stage in its history and … a new era in its relationship with American society… the culture of Catholicism was undergoing other changes that would reshape the beliefs and practices of the faithful.” (Pg. 204)

He observes, “Ethnic diversity has been a trademark of American Catholicism. This was true in the immigrant era … but it is much more pronounced as the church enters the twenty-first century. Along with such diversity is found a new attitude toward the newcomers… This will mean that the expression of Catholicism among Hispanics, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Anglos, and the many other groups that make up the Catholic mosaic will indeed be different. Diversity rather than homogeneity in the practice will become common… What separates them will become as important as what unites them…” (Pg. 222-223)

He points out, “Post-Vatican II Catholicism has largely become the church of the laity. Laypeople … [are] taking on new roles previously reserved to the priest, such as ministers of the Eucharist at Mass, readers of the scriptures, and directors of worship… the preponderance of women in pastoral ministry has reshaped this ministry… By 1998 women held close to half … of the nation’s diocesan administrative and professional positions. Even though the Roman Catholic Church does not allow women to be ordained as priests, in recent years church authorities have permitted women to be pastors of parishes… the new code of church law allowed a person who is not a priest to be pastor of a parish.” (Pg. 230)

He says, “Another clear example of how culture has transformed Catholicism is seen in … the practice of birth control… Pope John XXIII appointed a special commission to study the question… Pope Paul VI rejected the report and … upheld the church’s traditional condemnation… Despite the church’s official stance … the number of Catholics who approve of birth control has increased over the years…” (Pg. 249)

He concludes, “The resolution of these issues will undoubtedly create conflict. Nonetheless, the Catholic church must continue its dialogue with American culture. As change reshapes American society, the church must adapt. It has no choice. Otherwise it will become a lifeless relic of a mythic past.” (Pg. 256)

This book will be of great interest to those studying Catholicism in America.

[Robert Federline]

Although the title to this work speaks of Catholicism, the content of the book discusses multiple faiths in America and how they and this country have changed and affected each other over the years. This is a very well-written and objectively presented history of religion in America generally, and Catholicism specifically.

This is recommended reading to anyone interested in the changing perspectives of different faiths in America, as well as the prejudices they may have suffered, or practiced.

[Sean Mccarrey]

I had a hard time rating this book. Ultimately, it was the small things that made it a 4 stars and not a 3 stars for me. My major critic is on the lack of a spiritual frame work to guide the book. The overwhelming majority of the history focused on purely structural changes to the Catholic Church. Considering it was believed to be A-historical prior to Vatican II I sort of understand, but even then I was a little bit lost by the lack of addressing how differences in beliefs would have played into some of the major discrimination cases during the nineteenth century. Also, the rise of Latino's in the Church was not addressed in the best way. Dolan often relegated their presence to a Latino/Asian presence, and while he did a fairly good job at expressing the structure of the Latino Church as unique and Pre-Tridentine (albeit at the end of the book) he did not include any mention of the combination with indigenous religions that has taken place in the Latino Church.
Regardless of those things however, I thought Dolan's history of the battle between Liberal versus Conservative and immigrant versus Nativist was fascinating and really highlighted the issues that much of the Catholic Church is going through right now. I have to say that the afterward where Dolan addressed the child abuse scandal was probably the best part of the book to me. Dolan was able to pull in two hundred years of history to make a stinging indictment on the Church's problems and weaknesses. It would be interesting to see how Dolan would have addressed the scandal as it continued.