Description:
This text provides the student with an historical overview of the people and events that have shaped Roman Catholicism in the United States. It begins with a look at the roots of the American Catholic tradition during the time of Columbus and the arrival of missionaries to the New World. The chapters that follow trace the history of Catholicism from the colonial period to the present day. Fair minded and informative, this book will be useful to anyone teaching a course on Roman Catholicism or American Religion.
Review Quotes: "[Carey] perceptively explains the character and development of institutional and popular Catholicism, showing the pluralism and contested nature of both from the earliest settlement in North America....Better than any other survey available, this volume brings American Catholicism to life as part of the nation's religious history. It will work well as a text for courses in American religions and in American Catholicism. This volume retains the excellent bibliographic essay and helpful timeline of the earlier one."-Religious Studies Review