Description: Laypeople have a special mission in the church the way they have a special mission in society. In popular devotions the laity created a form of spirituality that lasted for over a millennium. Popular religiosity is alive in Latin America and in US ethnic subcultures.
Brief description: Pierre Hegy is professor emeritus from Adelphi University. He received his PhD from the University of Paris in 1972. He served as visiting professor at the Catholic University of Lima, Peru, and as Fulbright scholar at the Taiwan National University. His field of research is the sociology of Catholicism in a pastoral perspective. His last book is Wake Up, Lazarus! Paths to Catholic Renewal.