Rick Gribble – The American Catholic Experience
HS-333 The American Catholic Experience
Instructor: Fr. Rick Gribble, CSC, Ph.D. Phone: 565-1353 (office) Duffy 220 D; 238-6685 (Home) Before 9:00 PM
Class Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 A.M. to 12:45 P.M.
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 8:30-9:20 AM, Tuesday and Thursday 11:15 AM-12:30 PM or by appointment
Books and Resources: James T. Fisher, Communion of Immigrants; Jay P. Dolan, In Search of An American Catholicism; Book of Readings
Course Objectives:
This course is a survey of American Catholic life and history from the Spanish explorers to the contemporary post-Vatican II Church. Close reading of primary and secondary texts will be amplified with class presentations and discussions of the relevance and significance of decisions in the progress of American Catholicism. Readings and discussions will be amplified with written research assignments that will allow each student to probe more deeply into specific topics of personal interest.
Thursday January 20 Introduction: Being Catholic and American: A Conflict?
Readings: Readings: Richard McBrien, “Catholics: The American Experience”
Tuesday January 25: Missions in America: The Two Different Approaches
Readings: Fisher, Chapter 1; Readings: Ellis, “Serra Final Report”, Ellis, “De Brebeuf, Instructions,” Ellis, “Louis Hennepin, Description of Difficulties.”
Thursday January 27: Maryland, John Carroll and “Enlightened” American Catholicism
Readings: Dolan, Introduction and Chapter 1; Fisher, Chapter 2; Readings: Ellis, “State of Maryland Catholicism, et al,” Ellis, “John Carroll, Report to Propaganda,” Carroll “Sermon” and “Prayer.”
Tuesday February 1: The Democratization of American Catholicism
Readings: Readings: Reher, “Enlightenment and Episcopal Leadership.”
Thursday February 3: The Immigrant Church I Video
Readings: Fisher, Chapter 3
Tuesday February 8: The Immigrant Church II–John Hughes and Francis Kenrick
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 2; Fisher, Chapter 4; Readings: Patrick Carey, “John Hughes.”
Thursday February 10: The Immigrant Church III and Devotionalism–1880-1924
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 3, pp.84-90; Readings: Richard Linkh, “Catholic Attitude Toward Immigration Restriction,” Eugene Weare, “Our Immigration Problem,” James Gillis, “Editorial Comment”
Tuesday February 15 American Anti-Catholicism
Readings: Readings: Anti-Catholicism and the Nativist Movement, “ Edwin Gaustad, “Nativism,” Ellis, “American Protective Association.”
Thursday February 17: Americanism I–The Spirituality of Isaac Hecker
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 3, pp.71-84; Readings: Reher, “”Isaac Hecker: An American Saint Paul,” Patrick Carey, “Isaac Thomas Hecker.”
Tuesday February 22: Americanism II–The Issues 1885-1892
Readings: Dolan, Chapter, pp. 90-99 Readings: Thomas Wangler, “American Beliefs and Papal Orthodoxy,” Gerald Fogarty, “The Catholic Hierarchy in the United States.”
Thursday February 24: Americanism III–The Issues 1892-1899
Readings: Dolan 99-117; Readings: Ellis, “Testem Benevolentiae.”
Tuesday March 1: Theological Modernism in America
Readings: Readings: “Syllabus Condemning the Errors of the Modernists,” Edward Hanna, “Some Recent Books on Catholic Theology.” (To be supplied in class)
Thursday March 3: John Ryan and Social Reform
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 4, pp.127-157; Fisher, Chapter 5 Readings: John Ryan, “A Living Wage,” Ellis “John Ryan and the Bishops’ Program of 1919.”
Term Paper #1 Due in Class
March 5-13 Spring Break
Tuesday March 15: The Labor Priest Tradition
Readings: Richard Gribble, “Rerum Novarum and the San Francisco Labor Movement” Peter Dietz, “A ‘Labor’ Priest’s Plea for Social Reform”
Mid-Term Exam Distributed
Thursday March 17: Rural Catholicism
Readings: Readings “The Origins of the Catholic Church Extension Society,” Edwin O’Hara, “A Basis for a Rural Program,” Edgar Schmiedler, “Rural Catholic Action”
Tuesday March 22: Black Catholics in the United States
Readings: Readings Cyprian Davis, “God of Our Weary Years,” “John O’Boyle, “Speech in Behalf of the Negro, “ John LaFarge, “A Catholic Interracial Program”
Mid-Term Examination Due in Class
March 24-28 Easter Break
Tuesday March 29: Catholic Social Action
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 4, pp. 117-126, Chapter 4, pp. 146-157; Readings: Patrick Carey, “Dorothy Day.”
Thursday March 31: Church and State: The Contribution of John Courtney Murray
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 4, pp. 157-168; Readings: Patrick Carey, “John Courtney Murray.”
Tuesday April 5: The American Catholic Heyday in the 1950s
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 4, pp. 168-189; Fisher, Chapter 6
Thursday April 7: Catholic Higher Education: Tradition and Identity Issues
Readings: Readings: From Theodore Hesburgh’s The Challenge and Promise of a Catholic University, Philip Gleason, “What Made Catholic Identity a Problem?” and Frederick Crosson, “Two Faces of Academic Freedom.”
Tuesday April 12: American Catholic Spirituality in the Twentieth Century: The Cases of Thomas Merton, Fulton Sheen, and Patrick Peyton
Readings: Readings: Thomas Merton, “Selected Writings,” Kathleen Fields, “A Life of Mystery and Adventure,” Richard Gribble, “The Second Holy Cross Saint? Spiritual Impressions of Father Patrick J. Peyton, CSC”
Book Review Due in Class
Thursday April 14: Catholics and Anti-Communism
Readings: Readings: Richard Gid Powers, Not Without Honor, excerpts, Essay to be distributed
Tuesday April 19: Catholics and the Courts
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 5, pp. 198-211; Fisher, Chapter 7
Thursday April 21: Catholics in Film and other Media
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 5, pp. 191-198; Readings: Philip Jenkins, The New Anti-Catholicism, excerpts
Tuesday April 26: Women in American Catholicism Today
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 5, pp. 224-238; Readings: “Ordinatio Sacerdotalis,” U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral on Women, “One in Christ Jesus.”
Thursday April 28: The Church Right: Traditionalists and Conservatives
Readings: Dolan, Chapter 5, pp. 238-256; Readings: Mary Jo Weaver, ed. James Sullivan, “Catholics United for the Faith.”
Term Paper #2 Due in Class
Tuesday May 3: American Catholicism Today: The Present Crisis I
Readings: Dolan, Postscript; Readings, George Weigel, The Courage to Be Catholic, excerpts, Margaret Steinfels and Scott Appleby, “Dallas Meeting, 2002, Speeches
Thursday May 5: American Catholicism Today: The Present Crisis II
Readings: Readings, James Carroll, Toward a New Catholic Church, excerpts
Final Exam–Time and Place To Be Determined
Assignments/Grading Policy:
1. Two Critical Essays 40%
2. Mid-term examination (Take home) 15%
3. Final Exam 20%
4. Book Review 10%
4. 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 as soon as possible (in advance is appreciated if you know you cannot attend a session). Excessive (more than three) unexcused absences will reduce your class participation grade one grade. More than six unexcused absences will reduce you final grade at least one letter grade.
2. Assignments are due in class on the date stated in the syllabus. Late assignments will be reduced one letter grade (10 points) for each day late. If you foresee a problem inform me as early as possible as soon as possible
3. Extensions are granted on assignments only for serious personal health or family issues. If some situation arises check with me as soon as possible
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 will result in a grade of zero (0) for the assignment. There will be no exceptions.
