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The American Catholic Experience: A History from Colonial Times to the Present Kindle Edition

by Jay P. Dolan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
See all formats and editions
Catholicism has had a profound and lasting influence on the shape, the meaning, and the course of American history. Now, in the first book to reflect the new communal and social awakening which emerged from Vatican Council II, here is a vibrant and compelling history of the American Catholic experience—one that will surely become the standard volume for this decade, and decades to come.

Spanning nearly five hundred years, the narrative eloquently describes the Catholic experience from the arrival of Columbus and the other European explorers to the present day. It sheds fascinating new light on the work of the first vanguard of missionaries, and on the religious struggles and tensions of the early settlers. We watch Catholicism as it spread across the New World, and see how it transformed—and was transformed by—the land and its people. We follow the evolution of the urban ethnic communities and learn about the vital contributions of the immigrant church to Catholicism. And finally, we share in the controversy of the modern church and the extraordinary changes in the Catholic consciousness as it comes to grips with such contemporary social and theological issues as war and peace and the arms race, materialism, birth control and abortion, social justice, civil rights, religious freedom, the ordination of women, and married clergy.

The American Catholic Experience is not just the history of an institution, but a chronicle of the dreams and aspirations, the crises and faith, of a thriving, ever-evolving religious community. It provides a penetrating and deeply thoughtful look at an experience as diverse, as exciting, and as powerful as America itself.
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  1. Print length
    504 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Image
  5. Publication date
    September 7, 2011
  6. Grade level
    7 - 9
  7. File size
    3668 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Dolan writes in a lively manner and synthesizes vast amounts of material with a flair reminiscent of Martin Marty at his best. Tracing the history of Ca tholicism in America from the Spanish missions to the 1983 pastoral letter ``The Challenge of Peace,'' Dolan (who considers himself a social historian) de scribes the life and faith of the ``little'' people without ignoring the intellectual currents that swirled about them. De spite some occasional choppiness and confusion engendered by the book's mixed chronological/topical organiza tion, this is an admirable work that will appeal to general readers and still serve for academic use; indeed, the footnotes are a treasure trove for students and scholars of American Catholic history. Highly recommended. D. Stephen Rockwood, Mt. St. Mary's Coll. Lib., Emmitsburg, Md.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“The American Catholic Experience is a model of cogency, its every seam fastened by rivets of documentation. In it we see ourselves more clearly. This is what we ask from history, and here obtain.” ―The Recorder



“In this work, Dolan is concerned less with traditional institutional history―orders, bishops, churches―than with a broader social history of the Catholic experience itself. At the same time, he does not ignore structures and institutions, but seeks to place them within the context of Catholic life. Dolan’s style is provocative and allows him to hold the reader’s interest while providing endless material. This is a helpful volume which serves as an excellent introduction to Catholic experience in America.” ―Review and Expositor



“For anyone interested in American Catholic history, Dolan’s book is pivotal. The solid research and extensive citations make it a valuable teaching tool, while its solid writing makes the ideas easily accessible.” ―St. Anthony Messenger



"This book ... will quickly capture your attention, and engage your mind, and make you think what it meant―and means―to be 'a Catholic in America.' This book cannot be 'recommended.' It must be labeled 'essential.'" ―Spirituality Today

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003FCVFK4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Image (September 7, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 7, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3668 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 504 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

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Jay P. Dolan

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Needed it for class
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013
Verified Purchase
This was a required text for a course I took. Very easy to read and understand. Subject matter itself was very interesting. Thinking about keeping it :)
2 people found this helpful
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Michiganman
3.0 out of 5 stars surprised to learn Catholic schools were inferior to public
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2013
I don't know much about this book, I may end up buying it, but I was very surprised to see this book cited on Wikipedia as saying Catholic Schools in the USA were inferior to the public schools. I assume they were referring to prior to 1911 based on the text. What I will say that I know personally Catholic schools didn't spend lots of money on things like a real apartment (one of my local public schools) when home economics classes could learn almost as well with scale paper cut-outs of furniture etc. Certainly multitudes of Catholic educated individuals have had enormous success in the political and business arena since the USA had Catholic schools.
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