Women in the Vanishing Cloister: Organizational Decline in Catholic Religious Orders in the United States [Hardcover]

Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Sociologist Ebaugh ( Out of the Cloister , Univ. of Texas Pr., 1977, and Becoming an Ex , Univ. of Chicago, 1984) continues her studies of American Catholic nuns with this look at their approaching demise. Ebaugh zeros in on the pseudonymous Sisters of Service, representative of most contemporary orders in that as fewer women choose to enter convents, middle-aged members have departed, leaving the sisters with a median age of 70 in 1990. Ebaugh addresses the causes of this phenomenon, contrasting the Sisters' outward, participatory response with that of American corporations' tendency to grow more centralized and authoritative when threatened. Religious life has undergone sweeping changes in the last decades: Most younger members recognize that the order will probably cease to exist during their lifetimes, yet they continue to seek new social structures within which to work. Highly recommended for both organizational studies and religious studies collections.
- Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati Technical Coll.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813518652
• ISBN-13: 978-0813518657
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,902,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, February 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Women in the Vanishing Cloister: Organizational Decline in Catholic Religious Orders in the United States (Paperback)

This book is an excellent examination of the decline of catholic religious order from a sociological perspective. I found it very insightful to those working in the creation or maintenance of religious communities.