"Catholicism in Motion" Press Coverage

Hello:

I've actually started a couple of posts recently and didn't like where they were headed. They're still parked in 'Draft' mode and have done nothing to cure the dusty look my BLOG has developed. Fortunately, I can cheat a little today and get something up quickly. Liguori Publications' author and Purdue professor James Davidson was recently the topic of an article in the LaFayette, Indiana Journal and Courier Newspaper. The article is well written and focuses on his new book Catholicism in Motion: The Church in American Society. The reporter, Bob Scott, has graciously given permission for the article and credits to be reproduced on the web - which gives me a great content feed for the day.

I've been reading this book for a little while now and find it fascinating. The author is a Sociologist who writes in a style that is both approachable and understandable. It's been a timely book for myself as I have been trying to learn more about what defines the Catholic Faith Community as well as my recent work with the Liguori Publications' focus group studies. I'm including the text of the article below or you can click Book focuses on issues of Catholicism.

Peace,

P. Del Ricci - Dark Glass


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Professor James Davidson's book, Catholicism in Motion: The Church in American Society, has been reviewed by Bob Scott of the Lafayette Journal and Courier.

Book focuses on issues of Catholicism
Story by Bob Scott
bscott@journalandcourier.com
Photo by Frank Oliver

Since 1999, Purdue professor James Davidson has written columns for a dozen Roman Catholic diocesan newspapers.

His new book, Catholicism in Motion: The Church in American Society, is a collection of 98 columns that explore a wide variety of Catholic issues, trends and changes.

"The core teachings of the church do not change much, but in other respects, the church is always changing," said Davidson, a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in West Lafayette.

Although he is a national expert on the sociology of religion, Davidson hopes his research helps Catholics understand who they are and where they are heading.

"I believe research is a resource for churches in general, and the Catholic Church is no exception," he said. "Research provides data that church leaders otherwise would not have.

"It offers theories that explain why conditions are changing as they are. And it points to ways in which church leaders can respond to these changes and plan for the future."

Bill Whalen, retired director of publications at Purdue, has written 12 books and was a co-author with Davidson on The Search for Common Ground: What Unites and Divides Catholic Americans.

"I've known Jim a long time. He is a very articulate religious sociologist," Whalen said.

Whalen, who attends St. Mary Cathedral, said he reads Davidson's columns in The Catholic Moment, which serves the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana.

"I have his book and am reading it now," he said last week. "I'm skipping around, but I want to start from the beginning and go straight through."

Davidson said each essay in the book "stands on its own." They are grouped in three parts: "Catholicism in America," "Organization Issues in the Church," and "The Beliefs and Practices of American Catholics."

Chapters include "Religion, the Economy, and Politics," "Challenges With Authority, Sexual Abuse and Other Problems," and "Parishes, Schools, and Other Catholic Institutions."

"The books also shows that religion continues to be an important institution in our society," Davidson said. "Its impact is not limited to individual church members and their families."

One essay gives the economic impact of the Catholic Church in Tippecanoe County. The survey was done in the late '90s. It examined 23 Catholic organizations, including six parishes, five parochial schools and a hospital (St. Elizabeth).

On Page 37, Davidson writes, "The Church's direct economic impact was $82,500,000. With the multiplier effect, the total impact was $191,500,000."

He said essays identify the problems that lay people consider most important, including the sexual abuse scandal and the shortage of priests.

"People interested in issues of church leadership, church finances, and the problems of passing faith on to future generations will find lots of interesting findings in this book," Davidson said.



Reprinted with permission.
Read the full-length article at the Journal and Courier website.