Description
Book SynopsisAmerican Catholic places the rise of the United States'' political conservatism in the context of ferment within the Roman Catholic Church. How did Roman Catholics shift from being perceived as un-American to emerging as the most vocal defenders of the United States as the standard bearer in world history for political liberty and economic prosperity? D. G. Hart charts the development of the complex relationship between Roman Catholicism and American conservatism, and shows how these two seemingly antagonistic ideological groups became intertwined in advancing a certain brand of domestic and international politics.
Contrary to the standard narrative, Roman Catholics were some of the most assertive political conservatives directly after World War II, and their brand of politics became one of the most influential means by which Roman Catholicism came to terms with American secular society. It did so precisely as bishops determined the church needed to update its teaching
Trade Review
Hart observes that Catholic conservatism got its voice in the 1960s: William F. Buckley, Brent Bozell, and then later Michael Novak, John Neuhaus, and finally George Weigel made Catholicism truly American.
* Choice *
Hart's study is a thoughtful, well-researched account of the growing influence of Catholicism within American conservatism. A valuable addition to the literature.
* Journal of Church and State *
The story American Catholic tells has many layers and draws together two intellectual traditions—Catholic political theology and movement conservatism—that may be unfamiliar to many readers.[H]his writing style is lucid and engaging, and his argument is worthy of serious engagement.
* Modern Reformation *
American Catholic takes readers on a thrilling ride, full of twists and turns; it traces gradual slides into fresh conservative paradigms followed by abrupt reversals. In tracing this trajectory, D. G. Hart has provided an important intellectual history. This book is a highly readable text that moves the reader efficiently and effectively through a complex, multilayered narrative.
* Church History *
In American Catholic, D. G. Hart, a prolific historian of American Protestantism at Hillsdale College, offers a penetrating look at the evolution of Catholic political thought in the United States. [T]his book is a richly informed and well-written intellectual history.
* Journal of American History *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: How Americanism Won
1. Belonging to an Ancient Church in a Modern Republic
2. Public Duty, Private Faith
3. Americanism for the Global Church
4. Liberal Catholics, American Conservatives
5. The Extremities of Defending Liberty
6. The Limits of Americanism
7. Americanism Revived
8. Americanism Redux
Conclusion: Freedom and Roman Catholicism in Postconciliar America
