Catholics in America - by Patrick W Carey Paperback

About the Book

From colonial missions to the Iraq war, Patrick W. Carey details the rich and varied involvement Roman Catholics have had in American political, cultural, and family life. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the paperback edition of Catholics in America: A History includes a new cha...

Book Synopsis

From colonial missions to the Iraq war, Patrick W. Carey details the rich and varied involvement Roman Catholics have had in American political, cultural, and family life. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the paperback edition of Catholics in America: A History includes a new chapter covering the election of Pope Benedict XVI, ongoing investigation of abuse scandals, and increasing tension between traditional Catholic values and the beliefs of modern lay people.

Review Quotes

Carey presents a dutiful, accessible, and even-handed descriptive account of the major historical developments and events in American Catholicism from a brief review of Colonial Catholicism to current 'troubled times.'

Carey writes with clarity and grace, deftly guiding readers through the intricacies of American Catholic history. Especially impressive is the way the author balances hierarchical and clerical perspectives with those of the laity and external observers of the Catholic scene. Carey integrates an amazing amount of detail into this concise, carefully structured history, making the controversies and historical protagonists come alive, whether the focus is on the Colonial era, Americanism in the 1890s, Cold War Catholicism, or the escalation of the crisis over sexual abuse by clergy at the turn of the 21st century. Highly recommended.

Excellent coverage of the postconciliar period.... Balanced.... First-rate quality.... Clearly articulated.... The overall excellence of C.'s book amply demonstrates that history written in the traditional way still has the power to deepen our collective self-understanding.

In this crisply written volume, Patrick Carey combines a detailed narrative of American Catholic history with brief biographies of leaders ranging from Charles Carroll to Joseph Bernardin.

Patrick Carey's Catholics in America displays a rare combination of qualities: it is both encyclopedic and easily digestible...Carey's vast knowledge and his ability to bring a scattered array of details into a coherent narrative will impress any reader. This book is recommended for anyone seeking a richly detailed but crisp study of American Catholicism.

This history, in the hands of willing students and a lively, informed teacher, or on a library shelf, will help create an informed and engaged body of American Catholics for the coming decades. The rest of us, Catholic adults responsible for our present and immediate future, will do well to read it-reflectively.

About the Author

Patrick W. Carey is professor of theology at Marquette University. He is former president of the American Catholic Historical Society and lives in Newton, Wisconsin.