Rick Gribble – American Catholic Social History
RS-233 American Catholic Social History–Section A
Instructor: Fr. Rick Gribble. CSC, Ph.D. Office Duffy 220 D; Phone: 565-1353 (Office), 238-6685 (Room) Please do not call after 9 P.M. unless it is an emergency.
E-mail: rgribble@stonehill.edu
Class Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:30 A.M.–12:45 P.M.
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 A. M., Tuesday and Thursday 1-2 P.M. or by appointment.
Course Objectives: The publication in 1891 of the Papal encyclical Rerum Novarum initiated contemporary Catholic social thought. Beginning with a background to American Catholic history to this date, this course traces the patterns and progress of Catholic social history in the United States. Through background lectures and the reading and discussion of period documents students will gain knowledge and appreciation for how the Church in the United States has responded to the needs of contemporary society, both in direct service, challenge to prevailing government policies, and specific programs designed to encourage and bring about systemic change. Students will be invited to relate their own experience and knowledge of the Church in ways that will challenge their understanding of American history.
Books/Resources: Marvin L. Krier Mich, Catholic Social Teaching and Movements Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 1998 (Mich); Thomas Massaro and Thomas Shannon, eds. American Catholic Social Teaching. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 2002 (Massaro) Packet of Readings (Readings)
Class Sessions
Tuesday, January 13: Introduction–American Catholicism 1880-1917
Thursday, January 15: Rerum Novarum–Background, Genesis, and Precepts and Discussion
Readings: Mich, Chapter 1; Readings Rerum Novarum
Tuesday, January 20: Progressivism and the Social Gospel
Readings: Readings, “Progressivism in History,” Walter Rauschenbusch, “A Theology for the Social Gospel,”excerpts
Thursday, January 22: John Ryan, Social Reformer
Readings: Mich, Chapter 2; Readings, John Ryan, “The ‘Living Wage’ Philosophy,” Massaro Ryan, “A Living Wage” (Essay)
Tuesday, January 27: The NCWC and the Bishops’ Program for Social Reconstruction (1919)
Readings: Massaro, John Ryan, “Bishops’ Program for Social Reconstruction,” (CD #5); Broderick, “The Encyclicals and Social Action: Is John A. Ryan Typical? (Essay); Readings, Conde Pallen, “A Conservative View of the Church’s Social Mission.”
Thursday, January 29: American Catholics and Immigration, 1880-1924 I
Readings: Readings, “Immigrant Catholicism, 1830-1915: The People and Their Piety.”
Tuesday, February 3: American Catholics and Immigration, 1880-1924 II
Readings: Readings, “Catholic Attitudes Toward Immigration Restriction,” “Catholicism and Immigrant Assimilation,”Eugene Weare, “Our Immigration Problem,” Catholic World, Editorial Comment
Thursday, February 5: Class Debate: Contemporary Immigration
Readings: To be disttributed
Tuesday, February 10: Rural Catholicism in America
Readings: Readings, “The Origins of the Catholic Church Extension Society,” Edwin O’Hara, “A Basis for a Rural Program,” Edgar Schmiedeler, “Rural Catholic Action.”
Thursday, February 12: American Catholics and Labor
Readings: Readings, James Gibbons, “The Stake of the Catholic Church in the Labor Movement,” Peter Dietz, “A ‘Labor’ Priest’s Plea for Social Reform,” NCWC, “Right of Workers to Organize.”
Tuesday, February 17: Paul Hanly Furfey and the Philosophy of Personalism
Readings: Readings, Paul Hanly Furfey, “The New Social Catholicism.”
Wednesday, February 18: Film: “Entertaining Angels” Time and Place–TBD
Thursday, February 19: Catholic Action and Radicalism
Readings: Mich, Chapter 3; Readings, “Neil Betten, “Social Catholicism and the Emergence of Catholic Radicalism in America,” “Marc Ellis, “Peter Maurin, To Bring the Social Order to Christ,” Dorothy Day, “Decent Poverty the Social Ideal.”
Research Paper Due in Class
Tuesday, February 24: No Class—Compensatory Time for Film
Thursday, February 26: American Catholicism and Education: History and Contemporary Questions
Readings: To be distributed in class.
Tuesday, March 3: Mid-Term Examination
Thursday, March 5: The Church and the Family
Readings: Readings, NCWC, “Degradation of the Family,” NCWC, “Christian Family,” NCCB, “Putting Children and Families First,” (CD #18)
Spring Break March 7-15
Tuesday, March 17: Franklin Roosevelt, Catholics, and Social Issues
Readings: Massaro, NCWC, “Present Crisis,” (CD #6) NCWC, “Church and Social Order” (CD #7)
Thursday, March 19: The Black Catholic Experience
Readings: Mich, Chapter 5; Readings, John LaFarge, “A Catholic Interracial Program,” Massaro, “What We have Seen and Heard” (CD #15)
Tuesday, March 24: John Courtney Murray and Religious Freedom
Readings: Mich, Chapter 4; Readings, Vatican II, “Declaration on Religious Freedom.”
Thursday, March 26: Catholics, the 1960s, and the Peace Movement
Readings: Readings: Daniel Berrigan, “How to Make a Difference,” “Conscience, Law and Civil Disobedience”
Tuesday, March 31: Social Justice in the United States
Readings: Mich, Chapter 7
Thursday, April 2: The American Catholic Bishops and Peace
Readings: Mich, Chapter 10; Massaro “The Challenge of Peace,” (CD#14), paragraphs 71-177
Book Review Due
Tuesday, April 7: The American Catholic Bishops and the Economy
Readings: Mich, Chapter 11; Massaro, “Economic Justice for All,” (CD # 16), paragraphs 170-215 and 251-294
Easter Break April 9-13
Tuesday, April 14: No Class—Monday schedule for all classes
Thursday, April 16: Catholics and Public Policy
Readings: Readings: Mario Cuomo, “What Religion Demands and Pluralism Requires,” Edward Harrington, “The Metaphorical Wall”; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “The Participation of Catholics in Political Life”; Massaro, Bernardin, “The Public Life and Witness of the Church” (Essay)
Tuesday, April 21: Women, the Church and Justice
Readings: Mich, Chapter 12, Readings, Inter Insigniores and John Paul II, “Apostolic Letter on the Ordination of Women”
Thursday, April 23: A Theology of Liberation
Readings: Mich, Chapter 9
Tuesday, April 28: Catholicism and Life Ethics
Readings: Mich, Chapter 8; Readings, “The Gospel of Life,” excerpts
Research Paper Due
April 30: Wrap up of Semester and Review
Final Examination Date, time, and location TBD
Assignments/Grading Policy:
1. Mid-term examination 15%
2. Research Paper I 20%
3. Research Paper II 20%
3. Final Examination 20%
4. Book Review 10%
5. Class Participation 15%
Policy on Attendance and Assignments
1. Class attendance and promptness is important and expected. If you know that you cannot attend a class please inform me via phone or e-mail on or before the date. Excessive (more than three) unexcused absences will reduce your class participation grade at least one letter grade. More than five (5) unexcused absences will reduce your final grade at least one letter grade.
2. Extensions are granted on assignments only for serious personal health or family issues. If some situation arises, please check with me as soon as possible.
3. Assignments are due in class on the date assigned. If you computer printer runs out of ink, you forget the paper in your room, you “lose it” on your flash drive, or similar “reasons, the paper grade will be deducted 5 points if submitted that day. E-mail submissions are only allowed with permission of the instructor. Late assignments will be reduced one letter grade (ten points) for each day (not simply class day) late.
4. Students are responsible for any material missed in class–notes, handouts, etc. I will be more than happy to assist you at any mutually convenient time. Please allow me to assist if the need arises.
5. Plagiarism, defined in Stonehill’s documents and website, will result in a grade of zero (0) for the assignment and possibly other sanctions. I follow the policies presented in these documents. There will be no exceptions. I highly recommend that you review the Academic Honesty Policy of the College and the requirements for students and professors.
6. Rough drafts on written assignments are encouraged and will be reviewed by me in an expeditious manner. However, for your benefit and mine all drafts must be submitted NO LATER THAN one week prior to the date. I will make an appointment with you to personally review your draft.
Grading Policy
93-100 A 78-80 C+
90-93 A- 73-78 C
88-90 B+ 70-73 C-
83-88 B 60-70 D
80-83 B- Below 60 F
