Catholic Revivalism: The American Experience, 1830-1900

by Jay P. Dolan

Book Overview

Jay P. Dolan's Catholic Revivalism: The American Experience, 1830-1900 details the history of the Catholic Church in America by showing that revivalism, traditionally viewed as a Protestant phenomenon, was also a central feature of Catholic life and activity in the 19th century. To cope with the widespread social disorganization caused by large numbers of Catholic immigrants, the Church sponsored parish missions during which famous preachers...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0268007292
• ISBN13: 9780268007294
• Release Date: February 1978
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Despite oversights, this is a landmark monograph.

Throughout history, Protestants have always been viewed by cultural historians as embodying the emotional elements of religion. That is particularly true of evangelicals and their historical practice of revival. Dolan, however, shatters this long-standing attribute. In his book, Catholic Revivalism, Dolan describes the tradition in Catholic churches of the "parish mission." He shows that, while Protestants had some influence on the parish mission in the U.S., the two traditions developed separately. In fact, the Catholic "revival" is much older than the Protestant revival. Dolan's scholarship is excellent. He supports his argument with evidence, and ties the "parish mission" movement into modern charismatic movements within Catholicism. He, however, gives Catholic revivalism too much credit in its development. He claims that it was a unique development, and ignores the vast influence that the American "millennial ideal" had on it. Catholics adopted Protestant hymns and Protestant rhetoric. Even Dolan cannot deny the participation of Catholic revivalists in the Protestant-dominated, temperance movement. Over-all, Dolan's book provides the historian of American religion with a new way of examining 19th century revivalist instincts. It cut across American class and religious lines. Dolan, even with his oversights, makes this explicit, and his book will be a lasting source for researchers to use and debate.