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The Spirit of Vatican II by Colleen McDannell

The Spirit of Vatican II: A History of Catholic Reform in America by Colleen McDannell

 What’s the most important take-home message for readers?

In spite of efforts to downplay the significance of the Second Vatican Council, for many American Catholics it provided the theological justifications to demand sophisticated religious education, to engage ritually in the sacraments, to be accepting of non-Catholics, and to uphold cultural pluralism. It gave Catholics permission to publicly and constructively express disagreement and dissent, and most importantly, it created an atmosphere of spiritual and social flexibility essential to meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century. The reception of the reforms was quite uneven across the country, and so we need to be careful in describing what actually occurred.

From Religion Dispatches, July 8, 2011

Amazon

Book of the Week for September 4, 2011

Timothy Radcliffe, OP

 

Timothy Radcliffe, OP

Read Timothy Radcliffe's article, "Should I stay or should I go?" in the May 11, 2010 issue of The Tablet

Other articles by Timothy Radcliffe

What is the Point of Being a Christian?

Why Go to Church: The Drama of the Eucharist  

Book Review

Seven Last Words

The Future Church

The Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church by John L. Allen Jr. Doubleday, $28, 480 pp

Review by Patrick Jordan in Commonweal

More than a Dream

More than a Dream: How One School's Vision is Changing the World, written from the perspective of an insider, details the birth, growing pains and success of Cristo Rey, a Catholic high school created especially for poor urban youth in inner city Chicago.

G.R. Kearney’s telling of the Cristo Rey story is fair and complete.  Creating a new model for an urban high school is difficult at best and while perhaps not changing the world as the subtitle suggests, this new approach is changing lives of students and the minds of thoughtful educational leaders.

The Cristo Rey model has since been duplicated in other urban cities and is based on a foundation of true caring for disadvantaged youth, listening to the needs of the youth and their families and the creation of a unique and powerful economic model designed to assure affordability and sustainability of the school.

The Cristo Rey story is a book well written and researched.  It is a book designed for a wide audience and especially helpful for those who want to rethink high school education especially in urban areas.

Bert Blake
Superintendent Emeritus, Grand Rapids Public Schools

Being Catholic Now

In Being Catholic Now Kerry Kennedy has asked 37 prominent Catholics about the changes in the Church and what it means to be Catholic.

For interview of Kerry Kennedy by Deborah Solomon September 12, 2008, click here.