Customer Reviews

Roman Catholicism in America

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the kind of book ordinary people will like. It is complete, but not so detailed that the reader would lose the main thought. Mr. Gillis poses questions the "man or woman in the street" has pondered, but never had answered before; and he doesn't try to evade or white-wash problems or controversies. He gives credit to the simple, ordinary people who try to live their lives in accord with the laws of God, in simple faith and in caring service to their neighbors. The book makes me feel good about all the truly good people out there--people who work and struggle to find meaning in their lives. Mr. Gillis has done us all a great favor in showing the difficulties others have gone through, yet still kept trying.

Chester Gillis has favored us with an engrossing account of one of the world's leading religions with this account of Catholicism, yesterday and today, in America. Using reader-friendly text, suitable for the general public, he delineates the history of American Catholics, their beliefs and practices, over the last four centuries. Yet the account is by no means sterile or dry; instead, the author uses anecdotes, letters, and attributed quotes to give the text an immediacy and relevance which is most refreshing. Gillis covers such disparate topics as the Black Experience in the Catholic Church,Hispanics and their influences, ethnic groups of all kinds; controversies surrounding abortion, homosexuality, women's rights--including ordination, clerical misconduct, academic freedom, etc. In all, he is thorough and insightful. He traces the rise and fall of parish life in metropolitan areas and the state of religious life among vowed and unvowed members of the church. In fact, it is impossible to think of an area he hasn't covered. Photographs, charts, and graphs strengthen the statistical data; notes containing bibliographical material serve for further research or corroboration; a valuable glossary of terms, an impeccable index, and an offering of modern Internet sources will satisfy students or curious readers desirous of more information about specific topics. This book is suitable for Christians and non-Christians alike, for it presents a valuable insight into the lives and beliefs of a people who continue to influence the world and shape the policies of nations.

Ever on the look out to add good books to our parish library, I bought this book recently. I noticed that it had 7 solid very favorable reviews, and came with a recommendation by Jay Dolan, of the University of Notre Dame. Having read some of Dolan's books, I ponied up the money.

I now wish to add something to balance out the critical ledger:

Objection 1: An ambiguous presentation of the faith, what the Church officially teaches

Objection 2: gives the impression that dissent from the official Catholic faith is justified.

Objection 3: Gillis appears to have been very cozy personally with a number of well-known Catholic dissenters: Charles Curran & Monika Hellwig, in particular.

Objection 4: It is one thing to write about the gulf between official Catholic teaching, on say, birth control & abortion, and the actual practice by American Catholics. However, it is quite another thing to write about this in such a way as to belittle the Catholic teaching, or blur the lines between the Church's official teaching and dissent, as if this dissent were acceptable behavior.

Gillis spends three full pages on his friend, Charles Curran, justifying his dissent from Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI encyclical against birth control.

On page 110, Gillis writes, "Should a bishop be allowed to judge the professional competency of a university professor? Would this not be better left to peers in other institutions of higher education? Further, does not tenure protect one from retribution if he or she criticizes ecclesial positions? Is it the duty of theologians in church-related institutions to defend the public teachings of the church at all costs?" He thus implies that bishops are not competent to judge the content of college professors in Catholic schools, where the Catholic faith is supposed to be taught.

The Catholic faith is not a faith that is dependent upon polls of professing Catholics. If 7% or 70% of American Catholics are, in fact, practicing birth control, in defiance of Catholic teaching, this does not justify the rebellious actions of the few or the many. The same can be said of other matters: abortion, premarital sex, adultery, pornography, etc.

The United States has laws prohibiting rape and murder. If a sizeable portion of our population engaged in these two acts, would that justify doing away with these laws? Giving a dissenting opinion that laws against rape & murder are old fashioned and can be ignored does not justify the intrinsic evil that rape & murder are.

Similarly, Gillis seems to propose that dissent by American Catholics from the official Catholic teaching against birth control, abortion, and the like are acceptable.

Finally, Gillis' "Selected Further Reading" is a down-sized Who's Who of the Catholic liberal left:

--James Carroll, of "Constantine's Sword" notoriety
--Thomas C. Fox of the notorious left National Catholic Reporter
--Monika Hellwig, "The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia"
--Richard McBrien, author of the rightfully maligned tome, "Catholicism."
--Thomas P. Rausch

God have mercy! And saints deliver us from such Catholic teachers!
Save your money and buy some other book on Catholic history. Avoid "Roman Catholicism in America" by Chester Gillis like the plague.

John Paul, Oklahoma City

Roman Catholicism in America is an essential text for any thorough study of Roman Catholicism: it examines the religion within the context of American culture, with scholar Gillis examining the major religious concepts, individuals, and principles of Roman Catholics. An interdisciplinary approach allows for the consideration of various Catholic experiences and influences.

Author Gillis has done a masterful job in presenting the fruits of scholarly research in an unbiased format which makes for informative and enjoyable reading for an inquiring general audience. This should be a standard text in the hands of serious students and all readers desiring to know more about the history and people of the Catholic church in the USA.

I read this to gain a better understanding of my strict Catholic upbringing; Gillis went above and beyond my expectations! Because I can now understand the empty traditions, hostility, and control exerted by the staff, administration and clergy, I'm one step closer to forgiving them.

The fact that this was written before Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who, as recanted in this book, is a destructive slimbebal) became Pope Benedict and before the pedophilic scandals came to their worst point is actually a strength. It's easy to read the book from this point and see how the Catholic church does change drastically over time whether it wants to or not

Is there a Catholic equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize? If so, I nominate Chester Gillis' book for serious consideration. Gillis has done a masterful and complete study of his subject, offering a wealth of detail, with inside information and insights which could be given only by one thoroughly at home with his topic. Personal glimpses of the powerful and the not-so-powerful people in the church flesh out the statistical data, making the account as real, as vital, as conversations with Catholic neighbors down the block. The author explains religious doctrines and practices in a clear, concise style; he has a no-nonsense approach to even debatable matters; and his logic, rhetoric,and organization are impeccable. Any pastors, pastoral ministers, or directors of Adult Study Groups take notice: if you disregard this excellent book, you miss an opportunity for an enriching, unparallelled experience!

Chester Gillis delights readers with his historical thoroughness and timeless ancedotes on Catholicism in America. As a former student of his at Georgetown, I am not suprised. Thank you, Professor Gillis.

This is one of the outstanding books on theology of the twentieth century by Professor Gillis of Georgetown University. It is not merely a description but a comparison and analysis of issues, such as Mission versus Maintenance which is an in-depth study of paradoxes between the mission of the church and the maintenance of the bureaucracy and structure. Nobody is expected to accept both sides or all sides of issues, but the reader of any religion or even no religion will come away with an understanding of unique features of Roman Catholicism such as the protection of the connection between the human and the Divine which the institution of Priests and Sisters provides. Buddhism and Hinduism have a different way of protecting this connection, and Judaism and Islam and the Protestant Faith have their own ways. Perhaps there is hope in this Amerian melting pot, that by comparing good experiences the good lives on and the evil is buried. This is why I only review good books.