Catholic Activism Today: Individual Transformation and the Struggle for Social Justice

by Maureen K. Day

Overview

Uncovers why Catholic organizations fail to foster civic activism

The American Catholic Church boasts a long history of teaching and activism on issues of social justice. In the face of declining religious and community involvement in the twenty-first century, many modern-day Catholic groups aspire to revive the faith as well as their connections to the larger world. Yet while thousands attend weekly meetings designed to instill religiosity and a commitment to civic engagement, these programs often fail to achieve their more large-scale goals.

In Catholic Activism Today, Maureen K. Day sheds light on the impediments to successfully enacting social change. She argues that popular organizations such as JustFaith Ministries have embraced an approach to civic engagement that focuses on mobilizing Catholics as individuals rather than as collectives. There is reason to think this approach is effective—these organizations experience robust participation in their programs and garner reports of having had a transformative effect on their participants’ lives. Yet, Day shows that this approach encourages participants to make personal lifestyle changes rather than contend with structural social inequalities, thus failing to make real inroads in the pursuit of social justice. Moreover, the focus on the individual serves to undermine the institutional authority of the Catholic Church itself, shifting American Catholics’ perceptions of the Church from a hierarchy that controls the laity to one that simply influences it as they pursue their individual paths.

Drawing on three years of interview, survey, and participant observation data, Catholic Activism Today offers a compelling new take on contemporary dynamics of Catholic civic engagement and its potential effect on the Church at large.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781479886265
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	06/09/2020
Series:	Religion and Social Transformation , #11
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Maureen K. Day is Associate Professor of Religion and Society at the Franciscan School of Theology and the author of Catholic Activism Today: Individual Transformation and the Struggle for Social Justice.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 JustFaith Ministries and the Discipleship Style: A Sociohistorical Context 9

2 The Culture of Catholic Civic Engagement: Catholicity and Core Values 41

3 From Private Belief to Public Call: Transforming American Catholics 67

4 Christ-Centered Discipleship: A Theology of Pragmatic Reverence 101

5 Transforming Community: Gathering and Sending American Catholics 133

6 The State, the Market, and Poverty: Seeking Justice 163

7 Compassion: Knowledge through Stories 201

Conclusion: JustFaith Ministries and the American Catholic Landscape 229

Acknowledgments 241

Appendix A Detailed Methods 245

Appendix B Overview of JustFaith Ministries Programs 247

Notes 255

Bibliography 287

Index 297

About the Author 311

Editorial Reviews

"Masterfully captures the contemporary relocation of Catholic activism from institution-building to personal transformation. Catholic Activism Today offers vital lessons for modern religious practice, the public role of Catholicism, and the dilemmas of individualism for enacting justice."

Tricia C. Bruce

"The hope among the leadership at JustFaith Ministries is that the caring and activism learned therein will ’ripple outward’ amid the everyday lives of its participants. Interestingly, it is just this sort of rippling that is so abundantly evident in Maureen Day’s thoughtful and engaging study. Flowing from her analysis of this discipleship-style organization come ever-widening insights regarding contemporary American Catholicism, the strategies and dilemmas associated with grassroots activism, and, undulating still further, the prospects of living meaningful, generative lives at a time when possibilities for doing so seem to be constricting. I hope this important book will find a readership proportionate to the impressively broad scope of its concerns."

Jerome P. Baggett

"An illuminating case for anyone interested in civic engagement, religious or not, especially in the tensions between justice and charity. For sociologists and theologians alike, Day also offers thought-provoking discussion about the role of the Catholic Church in the American public square."

Sociology of Religion

"This readable, professional treatment of JustFaith Ministries puts the organization in the context of a larger social movement within American Catholicism."

Choice

"With empathic sensitivity to the twists and turns in individuals’ lives and their spiritual journeys, Maureen Day illuminates the centrality of Catholic faith and purposeful community in cultivating impactful civic engagement notwithstanding the structural forces that foster economic and social inequality. Using thoughtful interview and observation data, her gentle, yet rigorous, narrative persuades us that individuals’ everyday decisions and actions have a ripple effect in the crafting of a better, more morally authoritative, society."

Michele Dillon

"An excellent book that contributes to a great legacy of Catholic sociology of religion ... Catholic Activism Today could be helpful not just for sociologists, but for pastoral programs, church planning offices, seminaries, and schools of theology and ministry across the country."

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

"Day’s analysis of Catholic activism is valuable ... sheds light on how religious actors can have unique impacts on their own local contexts"

Catholic Books Review

"Catholic Activism Today provides an enlightening study of how Catholic organizations, like JustFaith Ministries, are transforming individuals to engage American public life in creative new ways."

Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses