Where Have You Gone, Michelangelo: The Loss of Soul in Catholic Culture [Hardcover]

Thomas Day (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1993

The bestselling author of Why Catholics Can't Sing returns with a brilliant and witty portrait of American Catholic culture that is sure to offend--and delight--everyone. "(Day) accurately and wittingly skewers what passes for culture in American Catholicism."--Publishers Weekly.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The "celebration of the insipid and sappy" in contemporary Catholic liturgies is the bete noir that Day, chairman of the music department at Salve Regina College, in Newport, R.I., wrestles with in this lively exploration. Like his earlier, well-received Why Catholics Can't Sing , this colloquial explication of what he calls "that deep pit of feel-good sentimentality, the liturgy as weird variety show" is peppered with incisive humor that tempers the scholarly basis of Day's critique. Essentially, the subject is the change in Roman Catholic churches brought about by Vatican II and the loss of a sense of mystery in the rush to popularization. Chapters are devoted to the evanescent Latin mass, church art and music with side journeys into the public worship of other denominations. With his signature wit and brio, Day addresses nagging problems experienced by Catholic churchgoers today, and offers workable suggestions for enriching the liturgical experience.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Since Vatican II, many a Catholic worshiper has wondered, "What in heaven's name is going on?" Although it has been 30 years since such rumblings began, the cumulative effect on the rubrics has dislodged and depressed as many as have been encouraged and stimulated. Thomas Day laments the loss of soul in the music and style of Catholic services, and the changes in church interiors, as well. Indiscriminate abolishment of spoken and musical Latin has created a trend of turgid, unknown hymns that the community seldom welcomes. Costly and often unnecessary changes in church interiors--such as slanting pews and the replacement of baptistries with large pools--are just some of the cultural shocks that have been promulgated. Day believes that ethnic chauvinism--whether African American or Irish or Polish--should not wipe out the culture of centuries. Changes have affected not only doctrine but the beauty of worship itself. Day's book is an eloquent plea for that art and soul necessary to sustain beauty. Eugene Sullivan

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Crossroad; First edition (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824513967
• ISBN-13: 978-0824513962
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,186,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Even better than it's predecessor. . ., August 7, 2000

By 

David Zampino "21st Century Hobbit" (Delavan, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where Have You Gone, Michelangelo: The Loss of Soul in Catholic Culture (Hardcover)

In this sequel to "Why Catholics Can't Sing", Mr. Day takes on the deplorable trends in church design and architecture seen in the last 30 years. Although his remarks are aimed at the Catholic Church, much of what he says is equally applicable to many Protestant denominations as well.

In a world where utilitarian seems to be the name of the game, it is good to see that there are still those who appreciate beauty and tradition in their worship, and understand 'why' churches, erected to the Glory of God, should look the part.

The angry tone Mr. Day displayed in his previous book is not to be found here, which is a wonderful improvement.

As a clergyman, I strongly recommend this book -- even though it may, at times, be an uncomfortable read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite as good as "Why Catholics Can't Sing", October 3, 2004

By 

mike duffy (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where Have You Gone, Michelangelo: The Loss of Soul in Catholic Culture (Hardcover)

In this follow-up, Day branches out from music criticism into the fields of church "renewal" and comparisons between the ole Latin Mass and the new vernacular Mass. It's not quite up to his other work. His writing style is a bit harder to follow and his points are more scattered. Sometimes he sounds like a union organizer for an organist guild. But it still is worth reading and he makes some extremely valid points. Everybody who is discontented with the state of Catholic worship should read this book and would probably agree with about 90% of it.

5.0 out of 5 stars The doctor is in!, July 5, 2011

By 

Michael Brown (Cleveland, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, MICHELANGELO THE LOSS OF SOUL IN CATHOLIC CULTURE (Hardcover)

Acerbic. Provocative. Hilarious. These three words best describe the music professor's critique of church design, liturgy, music and American culture. This is an openly anecdotal book, not an academically researched one, however the insights are often quite prescient. As any good critic, he is an equal opportunity employer skewering ideas that are promoted by variously motivated factions within the Roman rite of the Catholic Church.

His wit is hilarious, perhaps at times even derailing the seriousness of his endeavour. My favorite quote among many is the following (pg. 111) in reference to the centralization of where the priest sits during the mass, formerly on the side of the altar, now often in front of the tabernacle, the old high altar or the most prominent site in the sanctuary:

"At the very center (the heart?) of so many newer or renovated liturgical environments--especially those stark, science-fiction architectural spaces--is the Royal Seat, sometimes the most formidable artistic "statement" in the whole church. (In a few cases that I have seen, one can almost imagine Ming the Merciless slouching on his throne and commanding, "Bring Flash Gordon to me!")"