Overview

From a National Book Award-winning and bestselling author, James Carroll's examination and explaination of why he is till a practicing catholic, set against the history of the Catholic Church in America and the sometimes glorious, sometimes discouraging actions of its leaders. Practicing Catholicis a personal history of the American Catholic Church during James Carroll's lifetime.It traces the transformation of a medieval institution suspicious of American ideas of freedom and democracy into a church that has begun to embrace basic American principles of pluralism and respect for conscience.The book tells the story of heroes (Pope John xxiii, Thomas Merton, Cardinal Richard Cushing, William Sloane Coffin), and great events (Vatican ii, the Kennedys, the end of the Cold War).Considering the new meaning of belief in a secular world, it stands against the fundamentalisms of 'neo-athetists' as well as of born again Christians.The book shows how and why the world needs a renewed, rational, vital Catholic Church.All of this is centered in the life-long journey of its author, who embraced the priesthood in his youth, but who finds in the writing life a renewal of religious belief.For James Carroll faith is a practice-- like all practice, it aims at getting better. AUTHOR: James Carroll was raised in Washington, D.C., and ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1969. He served as a chaplain at Boston University from 1969 to 1974, then left the priesthood to become a writer. A distinguishedscholar- in-residence at Suffolk University, he is a columnist for the Boston Globe and a regular contributor to the Daily Beast.

Full Product Details

9780547336268

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Offers controversial insights on modern American Catholicism. A captivating look at the Church and a call for change from within its numbers."" -- Kirkus Reviews"

Author Information

James Carroll was raised in Washington, D.C., and ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1969. He served as a chaplain at Boston University from 1969 to 1974, then left the priesthood to become a writer. A distinguished scholar- in-residence at Suffolk University, he is a columnist for the Boston Globe and a regular contributor to the Daily Beast. His critically admired books include Practicing Catholic, the National Book Award-winning An American Requiem, House of War, which won the first PEN/Galbraith Award, and the New York Times bestseller Constantine's Sword, now an acclaimed documentary.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available