American Catholics by James Hennesey, S.J.
Oxford University Press, 1981
Historical non-fiction is often not for the faint of heart. American Catholics is no exception. While it is loaded with history of Catholics in the United States from long before it even was the United States, thrill-a-minute drama it is not. What James Hennesey, S.J., has penned, however, is an invaluable resource, one that belongs on the shelf of anyone seriously interested in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States.
Beginning in the early part of the 16th century, more than 250 years before the Declaration of Independence, Hennesey charts the triumphs and travails of those who shaped the church in the New World. The Spanish and French before the American Revolution played key roles, while new arrivals who flocked to the young nation from all over the world in the 19th and 20th centuries ultimately made countless contributions that built the church into a major social and cultural U.S. institution. Make no mistake: this is an incredible story, one often lost in the contemporary history books of our public schools. How could a group numbering a mere thirty-five thousand, less than one percent of the four million Americans after the Revolution, become one counting more than 50 million among its ranks (nearly a quarter of the U.S. population) in the latter half of the 1900s? It is no easy task, to be sure, and Hennesey expertly chronicles how this diverse group managed to assimilate into the developing American culture (despite discrimination based on ignorant fears and unfounded suspicions) while simultaneously maintaining its Catholic identity.
American Catholics often has an academic feel to it, reading at times like a textbook. As such, the entertainment value is mostly lacking and Hollywood likely won't be using it as the basis for its next blockbuster movie. That's actually unfortunate because there are a thousand captivating scripts in this little volume, all just waiting to be written. Hennesey has provided the history; it simply takes a little imagination to step into the lives of these brave individuals and share in their drama as they strove to become American Catholics.
Why Catholics Are Right by Michael Coren
McClelland & Stewart Ltd., 2011
If you're Catholic, truly Catholic, you've been there. That moment when you're faced with defending the faith, but in doing so you know you must also be polite, and accommodating, and politically correct. Heaven forbid anyone should have their feelings hurt by your beliefs. And one mustn't dare try to evade the undeniable and universally-accepted truth of the church's outright wretchedness and underlying evil. Usually this means bending over backwards to repeatedly acknowledge all the church's mistakes (yes, in 2000-plus years there have been some) while simultaneously never missing an opportunity to give due praise to the theologically accurate doctrines and practices retained by the particular Protestant denomination of the person to whom one is speaking. It can be a tightrope act daunting enough to make many simply decide defending the faith isn't worth the headache. Those that forge ahead often wish they hadn't and come away feeling something was missing -- unsatiated, like they couldn't really say what they wanted.
Why Catholics Are Right is there to fill that hole. Author Michael Coren says what many Catholics would like to say, but never do. He tells it like it is, without apology. He's convinced the Catholic Church is right on the basics, but this book really isn't primarily about fundamental theology. While Coren does devote some space to defending often misunderstood basic tenets of the faith, much more ink is spent exploring the most common areas of attack on the church -- sex scandal, church history, crusades, inquisition, obsession with life issues.
It's refreshing that Coren is willing to call nonsense nonsense. If he stopped there, however, it would be nothing more than a big, "Shut up! You're stupid!" Thankfully, Coren realizes it's not enough just to point out common errors in the perceptions of the church. He adeptly explains in a quickly-paced, accessible style why he believes those who attack the church are wrong. And it's not merely his opinion or interpretation. Coren cites numerous references and fills the end pages with a bibliography that can be another of source of informational wealth for those willing to mine it.
While Coren is direct and unapologetic about the church, he manages to maintain a tone of sincerity. It's obvious he truly wants to share the facts and dispel the myths that surround the church, its practices, and its history. Unquestionably, and hopefully with the same sincerity Coren displays, those who are Catholic will find themselves better equipped to stand up for what they know is right about the Catholic Church. And the few brave non-Catholics who honestly journey between the covers will also be rewarded at least a time or two, and probably surprised, with the realization that the Catholic Church is indeed right.
Posts
