What does it mean to be--or to have been raised--Catholic in America today? This collection of articles by formidable scholars and writers--each of whom have come of age after the Second Vatican Council--make it clear that being Catholic is not simply a matter of going to confession or Mass. Their explorations contribute to Catholicism's remaking of cultural identity in the United States.
What does it mean to be--or to have been raised--Catholic in America today, now that formally nonpracticing Catholics outnumber the memberships of any other single denomination? "Catholic Lives, Contemporary America" is a collection of informed and spirited essays focusing on Catholic lay practices not commonly recognized or, at times, officially sanctioned. For the formidable array of scholars and writers gathered here, being Catholic is not simply a matter of going to confession or attending Mass, and Catholicism's contributions to American cultural identity remain open to question.
Edited and with an introduction by Thomas J. Ferraro, "Catholic Lives, Contemporary America" offers a banquet of essays and interviews, at once subtle and accessible, treating American Catholic lives and legacies with compassion and flair.
"Contributors." Patrick Allitt, Paul Crowley, Thomas J. Ferraro, James T. Fisher, Paul Giles, Mary Gordon, Stanley Hauerwas, Frank Lentricchia, Robert A. Orsi, Camille Paglia, David Plante, Richard Rodriguez, Kathy Rudy, Andrew Sullivan, Mary Jo Weaver
Ferraro, Thomas J.