Description
Book SynopsisThe Inculturation of American Catholicism addresses two points of broad academic interest: continuing reform and renewal in the Catholic Church and greater social and political clarity about the richness of the republican tradition often dismissed by antiliberal slogans that distort the historical record.
Trade ReviewThis is a distinctive interdisciplinary study of the salient meanings of Bishop John England's singular adaptation to the ethos of American culture. Lou NcNeil has crafted a fresh and honest narrative, one that takes the reader on an engaging journey through the pathways of social and political trends and historical theology and ecclesiology both past and present. This book is a significant contribution to American Catholic Studies. -- Christopher J. Kauffman, Catholic University of America
It will be welcomed by students of American Catholic studies and especially by those whose assessment of the contemporary church correspond's with the author's. * The Catholic Historical Review, October 2009 *
I recommend this book highly. It is well written, sensitive to practical pastoral practices and how they influence and condition thought (a la Charles Pierce), aware of the early nineteenth century republican understanding of the common good (over private interest or individualism), and familiar with the earlier historiography on John England, with which McNeil interacts throughout the text. . . . It would be useful and provacative for advanced undergraduates, graduate students in history as well as theology, and theologians and historians. It should certainly be in every college library. * American Catholic Studies, Fall 2009 *
This is a work of creative scholarship that brings historical resources to a crucial debate about American Catholicism. It deserves the attention of theologians and other scholars interested in American history and religion. * Theological Studies, December 2009 *
Recovering American Catholic Inculturation paints a compelling portrait of John England as a creative nineteenth-century pastoral leader who can serve as a model for today's church. -- William J. Portier, University of Dayton
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Life, Vision, and Response at the Margins Chapter 4 Living and Leading within a Minority Chapter 5 A Vision from the Margins Chapter 6 Dimensions and Directions in the Ecclesial Response Chapter 7 Conclusion
