The Catholic Church in State Politics: Negotiating Prophetic Demands and Political Realities

by David A. Yamane Wake Forest University

Overview

What role, if any, should religion play in politics? By what authority and methods does the Catholic Church apply its teachings to public policy discourse? How do Bishops and lay leaders work together in Catholic conferences, and how do they work with political leaders? What impact do they have? The political advocacy of the American Catholic Bishops at the state level is one of the Church's best-kept secrets. In this groundbreaking work, David Yamane reveals the rich history, accomplishments, and challenges of bishops and their lay colleagues in local politics. Through sociological analysis, up-to-date examples, and personal interviews, Yamane explains how the local Catholic advocacy organizations in thirty-three states and Washington, D.C., negotiate the tension between the prophetic demands of faith and the political realities of secular political institutions. The Catholic Church in State Politics invites readers to understand better the role of religion in the public square.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742532304
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/09/2005
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.04(w) x 9.26(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

David Yamane is assistant professor of sociology at Wake Forest University, where he specializes in postwar American Catholicism. He is author of Student Movements for Multiculturalism and editor of Goodbye Father: The Celibate Male Priesthood and the Future of the Catholic Church.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction: The Governor and the Archbishop Chapter 2 History: From John Carroll to the Maryland Catholic Conference Chapter 3 Organization: State Catholic Conferences as Dual Structures Chapter 4 Issues: The Seamless Garment in Action Chapter 5 Legitimacy: Political Influence and the Catholic Watergate Chapter 6 Discourse: Liberally Clothing the Naked Public Square Chapter 7 Conclusion: Catholic Political Advocacy in Secular Society: Future Challenges Chapter 8 Appendix

Editorial Reviews

With its empirical focus on policy advocacy by state-level Catholic Conferences, The Catholic Church in State Politics fills in a long-felt scholarly gap for understanding American Catholicism and politics. It deserves to be widely read by sociologists of religion. Deftly written, Yamane's book will be of broader interest to those who study politics, secularization theory and religious organizational structures. Yamane shows how the dual structure of religious lobby groups ( relying not just on religious grounding but also on lay expertise) constrains and enables them to mesh religious legitimacy with secular competence and language, shielding them, thereby, from any overly narrow sectarian stance

John A. Coleman S.J.

An unanticipated byproduct of Vatican II and the devolution of government policy making from the federal level, state Catholic conferences are now where the action is in the Church's campaign to plant its banner in the secular public square. Yamane's lucid, insightful account of the development of state conferences and their pursuit of a distinctly countercultural policy agenda will prove a most valuable resource for students of U.S. Church history and contemporary American policy making.

Dick Dowling

David Yamane's book, The Catholic Church in State Politics, is an extraordinary, subtle, and intelligent analysis of a complex matter. It demonstrates conclusively that by and large the state Catholic conferences have worked out a way of representing religion in the public marketplace with skill, intelligence, and balance.

Andrew M. Greeley

In this masterfully written book, David Yamane takes a close look at the functioning of 34-state level Catholic Bishops Confereances in the United States.

Journal Of Scientific Study Of Religion

David Yamane's book, The Catholic Church in State Politics, is an extraordinary, subtle, and intelligent analysis of a complex matter. It demonstrates conclusively that by and large the state Catholic conferences have worked out a way of representing religion in the public marketplace with skill, intelligence, and balance.--Andrew M. Greeley, Best-selling author, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Arizona and Research Associate with the National Opinion Re

With its empirical focus on policy advocacy by state-level Catholic Conferences, The Catholic Church in State Politics fills in a long-felt scholarly gap for understanding American Catholicism and politics. It deserves to be widely read by sociologists of religion. Deftly written, Yamane's book will be of broader interest to those who study politics, secularization theory and religious organizational structures. Yamane shows how the dual structure of religious lobby groups ( relying not just on religious grounding but also on lay expertise) constrains and enables them to mesh religious legitimacy with secular competence and language, shielding them, thereby, from any overly narrow sectarian stance--John A. Coleman S.J., Casassa Professor of Social Values, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

An unanticipated byproduct of Vatican II and the devolution of government policy making from the federal level, state Catholic conferences are now where the action is in the Church's campaign to plant its banner in the secular public square. Yamane's lucid, insightful account of the development of state conferences and their pursuit of a distinctly countercultural policy agenda will prove a most valuable resource for students of U.S. Church history and contemporary American policy making.--Dick Dowling, Executive Director, Maryland Catholic Conference

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