Anti-Catholicism in America The Last Acceptable Prejudice

By Mark S. Massa and Mark Massa

Book Overview

One of the most important books in religion this year is a tour-de-force of new investigation, scholarly rigor, storytelling, and humor. In this authoritative work, Mark Massa, program director of Fordham University's Center for American Catholic Studies, reveals how American Catholics' distinctive way of viewing the world is constantly misunderstood by outsiders. This book tells the astonishing story of how a supposedly tolerant American culture has prejudged members of their largest religious group, and how the profound differences between Catholics and non-Catholics explain this animosity. Crossroad is pleased to present the paperback edition with major study guide. Chapters include: The Varieties of Anti-Catholicism in the United States; Do Catholics and Protestant See the World Differently? Catholic-Protestant Tensions in Postwar America; The Power of Negative Thinking; The Death Cookie and Other "Catholics Cartoons"; Catholicism and Science; "Why Does He Say Those Awful Things about Catholics?"; Betrayal in Boston; The Last Acceptable Prejudice?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0824523628
• ISBN13: 9780824523626
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Herder & Herder
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Enlightening and comforting...

As someone who grew up Catholic and who has always loved being a Catholic this book is a source of great reassurance. I spent 12 years in schools run by Benedictine nuns and priests and, though they were pretty strict, I believe I got a better education than I would have had I attended a secular school. Being a Catholic is not always easy and I am not always good at it. There are many problems within the Church but I am so tired of feeling like I have to apologize for continuing to believe in the higher purpose of Catholicism. Father Massa's book is a great reassurance that Catholicism is more than just what one does on Sunday mornings. It is a way of life and, for the most part, it is a good way of life. I particularly appreciated his chapters on the pedophilia scandals of recent years. His precise and exacting explanation of the events leading up to it and the way it was handled is unblinkingly honest but reassuring that, while many mistakes were made, they were human mistakes that had little to do with theology and the essence of what Catholicism is. This is a beautifully written, touching and informative book. If you are a Catholic who feels you have to apologize for that at times and yet still believe, I urge you to read Father Massa's book.