Overview

During the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church went through a period of liberal reform under the stewardship of Popes John XXIII and Paul VI. Successive popes sharply reversed course, enforcing conservative ideological values and silencing progressive voices in the Church. Consequently, those Catholics who had embraced the spirit of Vatican II were left feeling adrift and betrayed. In Unruly Catholics from Dante to Madonna, scholars of literature, film, religion, history, and sociology delve into this conflict–and historically similar ones–through the examination of narratives by and about rebellious Catholics. Essays in Unruly Catholics explore how renowned Catholic literary figures Dante Alighieri, Oscar Wilde, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, and Gerard Manley Hopkins dealt with the disparities between their personal beliefs and the Church’s official teachings. Contributors also suggest how controversial entertainers such as Madonna, Kevin Smith, Michael Moore, and Stephen Colbert practice forms of Catholicism perhaps worthy of respect. Most pointedly, Unruly Catholics addresses the recent sex abuse scandals, considers the possibility that the Church might be reformed from within, and presents three iconic figures–Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and C.S. Lewis–as models of compassionate and reformist Christianity.

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9780810888517

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Reviews

This lively and timely collection revisits in contemporary contexts the long-standing debate around the catholicity of Catholic traditions. -- Ruth Vanita, author of Sappho and the Virgin Mary This is a book that broadens narrow religious horizons steeped in the twilight of the culture wars, developing fresh appreciations for faith in its various manifestations in literature, film, politics, and everyday life. -- Joerg Rieger, Wendland-Cook Professor of Constructive Theology, Perkins School of Theology, SMU, author of Christ And Empire Frustrating traditional divisions between scholarly disciplines, high and low culture, spiritual and sensual, academic and subjective, DiPaolo's writing is personal in voice and form. To read DiPaolo is to engage with a sharp mind and a quick wit, to be startled and to see differently. -- Katherine Brown Downey, author of Perverse Midrash

This lively and timely collection revisits in contemporary contexts the long-standing debate around the catholicity of Catholic traditions. -- Ruth Vanita, author of Sappho and the Virgin Mary This is a book that broadens narrow religious horizons steeped in the twilight of the culture wars, developing fresh appreciations for faith in its various manifestations in literature, film, politics, and everyday life. -- Joerg Rieger, author of Occupy Religion Frustrating traditional divisions between scholarly disciplines, high and low culture, spiritual and sensual, academic and subjective, DiPaolo's writing is personal in voice and form. To read DiPaolo is to engage with a sharp mind and a quick wit, to be startled and to see differently. -- Katherine Brown Downey, author of Perverse Midrash

This lively and timely collection revisits in contemporary contexts the long-standing debate around the catholicity of Catholic traditions. -- Ruth Vanita, author of Sappho and the Virgin Mary This is a book that broadens narrow religious horizons steeped in the twilight of the culture wars, developing fresh appreciations for faith in its various manifestations in literature, film, politics, and everyday life. -- Joerg Rieger, Perkins School of Theology, SMU; author of Christ And Empire Frustrating traditional divisions between scholarly disciplines, high and low culture, spiritual and sensual, academic and subjective, DiPaolo's writing is personal in voice and form. To read DiPaolo is to engage with a sharp mind and a quick wit, to be startled and to see differently. -- Katherine Brown Downey, author of Perverse Midrash DiPaolo has brought together unlikely contributors and ideas to foster dialogue and invites the reader to join in the fun is vividly displayed in his confessional preface. The book raises the possibilities for Catholic faith and thought suggested by Catholic fiction. * Rsr *

Author Information

Marc DiPaolo (PhD in English, Drew University) is an assistant professor of English and Film at Oklahoma City University, and has published several books examining intersections between literature, popular culture, politics, and religion, including War, Politics and Superheroes (CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2011).

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