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The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice

The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An unprecedented look into a much ignored problem
Review: "The New Anti-Catholicism" is a comprehensive, timely study of modern anti-Catholicism. Drawing on recent events while simultaneously mindful of history, Philip Jenkins makes a solid case that Roman Catholicism is subjected to a disproportionate amount of scrutiny, satire, and scorn in American life. The subject of some ugly anti-Catholic remarks myself, I impulsively bought this book as soon as I learned of its existence. What I found was not the polemical denunciation of anti-Catholic prejudice that I had craved (in order to feel vindicated) but rather a careful, erudite--at times sociological--study of anti-Catholicism which I ultimately found no less fascinating!

Chapters 2 and 3 (there are ten total) concern the history of American anti-Catholic bigotry. Consisting of largely classic nativist paranoia about anti-Catholicism, the history itself I found to be rather dry. But I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did. Understanding the history of the prejudice, Jenkins demonstrates, is necessary to understand anti-Catholicism as a whole. Indeed, many of the vicious ultraliberal attacks on the Church that we encounter today are strikingly similar to the ultraconservative bigotry of a century ago. The book picks up pace after Chapter 3, however, as Jenkins explores topics like gay and feminist anti-Catholicism, Catholicism and the news media, Catholics in art, Catholics in Movies & TV, the recent sex abuse scandal, and what he calls "Black Legends," distortions of Church history. The chapter on clerical sexual abuse is so engrossing that it is almost worth the price of the book by itself!

Throughout the book, Jenkins explores the definitional aspects of anti-Catholicism in addition to the topical aspects that I listed in the previous paragraph. He explains the difference (however slight) between anti-Catholicism and anti-clericalism. He notes that to spitefully disparage "the institution" of the Catholic Church, as opposed to "the members," is to practice de facto anti-Catholicism since, unlike other religions, the institution is so deeply central to the Roman Catholic faith itself. He also explains that "it is not anti-Catholic simply to assert that the Church's position on a given issue is dead wrong, nor that Bishop X or Cadinal Y is a monster or menace to the public good. ... It is quite a different matter [however] to say that some essential features of [Catholicism] give rise to evil or abuse and that the evil cannot be prevented without fundamentally changing the beliefs or practices of the religion." The author is a realist, not a sensationalist or somebody looking for controversy. Readers will be impressed with Jenkins.

It is important to note that Philip Jenkins himself, a distinguished professor of History and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University, is an Episcopalian. Indeed, he has no vested interest in defending Catholicism and doesn't hesitate to criticize the Church when the situation merits. But he calls on America to recognize that harmful anti-Catholic intolerance pervades popular culture in such a manner that would be unimaginable concerning Muslims, Jews, homosexuals, or blacks.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice
Review: "The New Anti-Catholicism" is sure to be good reading for any individual interested in the long saga of politics, scandal, pride and prejudices associated with the institution of the Roman Catholic Church. This is a semi-scholarly investigation into what this author perceives as blatant prejudice and bias against Catholics and Catholicsm from many sources throughout the ages. Of particular value in this address is Jenkins' attempts to define the concept of 'bigotry' on a sociological level, as well as raising consciousness about 'hate crimes' and the proliferation of new laws and administrative codes which are entering American courtrooms in efforts to suppress Catholics. While every group imaginable seems to have some immunity to blatant hate language and other hate crimes, Catholics and Catholicism seem immune from such protection. Jenkins' book is dedicated to the task of providing evidence that anti-Catholicism is not only widely tolerated, but even promoted in a type of public attempt to demonize the Catholic Church as part of society's ever greater need to create and maintain a "folk devil" which will symbolize the worse attributes that can be found in any given culture. Jenkins major thesis is that anti-Catholicism is significant and remains one of the last unconfronted prejudices in modern America.

The book is divided into ten chapters to deal with specific topics or areas of sensitivity that serve as targets for the type of prejudice Jenkins is talking about. In these chapters the Catholic Church is described from the viewpoint of liberal and protestant politics who view the church in general as "anti-American" and "anti-Christian." The roots of the prejudice are old, inextricably linked with Anglo-American" and political ideologies from the seventeenth century forward. Jenkins provides some speculation for this prejudice. In his speculation Jenkins provides fertile ground for critics, or reactionaries, to dispute the issues, but largly attributes the existence of these fears to the fact that the Roman Church has attempted to impose it's truth and opinion into the mainstream for many years. Right or wrong, Jenkins seems to capture attitudes that have dominated public opinions and have been tolerated with little sympathy for those Catholics who feel bullied by them.

While many internal debates within the Catholic Church are occuring to challange, reform or renew Church teaching today,
Jenkins feels particularly strong in holding the news media responsible for encouraging anti-Catholic bigotry, in part because the media makes little effort to educate the public about the historical or theological nature of Catholic praxis.
Jenkins' asserts the media uses it's power to gather support for their own liberal agenda, creating the image that the Church is practicing bigotry towards certain groups in the oppression of their rights, as if the Church is a democratic institution with civil right codes of the same order as state and national policy. Jenkins criticism is leveled against the media's lack of sensitivity to the religious sensibilities of Catholics, many of whom have no opposition to traditional teachings and policies of the second Vatican Council. In a similar detailed manner Jenkins outlines a number of other sensitive issues which he believes the media go to extremes to display sacrilege, rather than a more balanced and politically correct discussion. Although many legitimate issues are raised by the public about the Church, is it fair that the faithful and the problems belonging to the institutional structures are not separated in an effort to be more respectful and fair? In this sense Jenkins' point is that Catholic bashing has become an admirable trait -- and no subject is out of bounds.

One short coming of the book is the obvious fact that it was written before the release of the John Jay study, which already makes his persepctive some what out dated. In his bent to blame the media for distortions that paint the Church as perverse and corrupted, Jenkins seems to adjust the statistics and redefines the problems related to the sexual abuse scandal as far out claims motivated by the liberal agendas of certain victim groups such as the Link-up and the Survivors Network. In this capacity Jenkins seems to fail to grasp the serious nature of the betrayal of trust, by narrowing the crisis to only pedophile instances of abuse, and in this way minimizes the extent of the problem. It is obvious, I think, to any professional in the mental health field that Jenkins' attempts to discuss the entire abuse issue lack sensitive insight into the magnitude of trauma any victim, no matter what age, experiences when a betrayal of trust with a cleric happens. In his attempts to be fair minded he directs attention to the fact that no other denomination has received such public scrutiny, even through sexual abuse crimes are also part of their household. On this issue Jenkins may lose some credibility. Although the current scandal will generate more fodder for anti-Catholic bigotry in the future, there is some need to excercise a degree of reflective consciousness here -- is all the gossip just stereotyping and witch hunting, or is there cause for serious outrage and challenge? Perhaps Dr. Jenkins will reconsider his opinion after more data emerge.

On the whole Jenkin's book should be read by any devoted Catholic, as well as by those who are devoted to it's demise, so that both bias and brokenness can better be defined for what it is. At the very least this book expresses multiple sides of the tensions that exist between communities. Reading the book can help to promote dialog and self-reflection for groups and individuals that hopefully will work in a direction of sorting truth from bias. No matter what side of the arguement the reader might find themself on, they will also find they stand within and outside each circumstance, and this helps to develop critical reference points for analysis that could not be arrived at through a more insular view of the problems. A book like this inspires futher study, and so it must be considered to have significant heuristic and hermeneutic value. Equally possible is the ever hopeful possiblity that critical dialog and study could result in a sorting of the wheat from the weeds, and in this process the seeds of repair and gathering might eventuate in an act of reconcilation of enormous size. Phillip Jenkins' book seems dedicated to this goal.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: An interesting, but dishonest and discouraging book
Review: In the end, it appears that by "anti-Catholic prejudice", Jenkins means a failure to regard what he
considers to be the core of the Roman Catholic church with sufficient reverence. He would
probably characterize most of the practicing Catholics I know as near-heretical. Jenkins
uses related but distinct words like "bigotry" and "prejudice" interchangeably. It is clear by
the end that a great deal of what he is terming "prejudice", which is usually applied to hostility
from outsiders, is in fact internal dissent and dissatisfaction from current and former Catholics. I
refuse to be embarrassed on behalf of my society at large if the hierarchy of any organization is
having problems keeping the flock in line.

Jenkins is attempting to gain momentum from the various "liberation" movements that have arisen
in the wake of the Civil Rights movement that became prominent in the 1950s. To this end, he
employs the tried and true propaganda technique of beginning history at a point where ones own
side can be made to look like an injured innocent, i.e., the anti-Catholicism of nativists and Know-
Nothings. If he really wants to trace the history of Protestant/Catholic conflict, he needs to go
back to the Reformation at least. It would also be appropriate to mention the Vatican's anti-
Americanism during the same period; many churches were offended that American considered the
people, rather than God, to be the legitimate source of political power. In any case, it is
irrelevant, since the book largely ignores the unfortunately still extant strains of real anti-Catholic
prejudice, such as the fundamentalist Protestant groups who regard the Pope as the anti-Christ.

Jenkins's real foe is people whose argument with the Catholic Church is not really religious but
social. Representatives of the Church have often argued that it is their duty to enter into debates of
public legislation and morality and I can't disapprove of the participation of any citizen in public
debates. They all enter at the same level, however, and those who participate in the brawl of
public debate (excuse me, the marketplace of ideas) must expect sometimes very harsh criticism,
although I shall always hope, often in vain, for a level of civility and honest consideration of
differing viewpoints.

Jenkins feels that the Church should be accorded special reverence by all; he seems to suggest that
any criticism borders on bigotry. The Church should be permitted to make strongly worded
pronouncements without risking strongly worded retorts. To Jenkins, any dispute between the
Church and any other group, including dissenting Catholics, is proof of anti-Catholic prejudice. He would probably
deny this and attempts at several points to explain the difference between prejudice/bigotry and
acceptable dissent, but the main difference seems to be that acceptable dissent is removed in time
and place. Jenkins mentions that the Masons
were originally welcoming to Catholics, but after what he admits to be a campaign of slander and
libel by the Church hierarchs, became decidely less friendly. Jenkins blames the Masons for the
ill-will, even though he admits that the Church threw the first rhetorical punch. In many ways, Jenkins does as much as any "No-Nothing" to argue that "real"
Catholics are unable to live in a secular, multireligious society.

It is in his discussion of homosexual issues that this becomes most clear. I share Jenkins' outrage
at the invasion of St. Patrick's Cathedral by Act-Up, but for the most part he discusses the incident
as if the police refused their assistance and society at large applauded; he does eventually admit
that even many gay activists were appalled. I have enough sympathy for the points that Jenkins
raises about the problems of expecting rapid change with regard to a long-standing and
widespread condemnation of homosexually that I would expect to be charged with homophobia.
As an outsider, I would not presume to tell the Church how to regard homosexuality or insist that
they sanctify gay marriages. At the same time, if the church is going to condemn gays as hell-
bound and attempt to frustrate their efforts to reach an accomodation with the larger society, it is
ridiculous for him to take umbrage at non-violent complaints.

Jenkins completely misses the point in his discussion on pedophilia. The issue for most people is
less that some priests are pedophiles than the apparent inability of the Church to deal with the
issue. People being what they are, this has presumably been an organizational problem for more
than 1500 years, yet the Church seems baffled. Some people do see this as an opportunity to beat
the Church and its policy of celibacy over the head, but in fact civil authorities have in the past
tried to spare the Church embarrassment by declining to prosecute and trusting the Church to deal
with erring priests. Jenkins ignores this and complains that the organizational strength of the
church makes it a tempting target for grandstanding prosecutors, forgetting that this is the very
reason that the problems were concealed for so long. The Church is paying more for its own
failure to deal with the problem than for the individual transgressions of certain priests.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Liberal intolerance exposed and documented
Review: An ironic fact about American society today: liberals who are always lecturing others about tolerence, are themselves the most intolerant when it comes to religion, in particular, Catholicism. This documented fact has been the topic of bestsellers by Ann Coulter, David Limbaugh, Bernard Goldberg, Michael Medved and others. Prof. Jenkins' book is less polemical than the other books, and more objective. But he documents enough indisputable evidence to make the same point: liberals hate the Catholic Church!
Jenkins' critique of liberal "Catholics" like Maureen Dowd, Anna Quindlen and Harry Wills is so devastating I wonder how anyone in the media could take them seriously again. But that's the very point - Wills, Dowd and their like are the cringing little lap-dogs of the liberal media establishment. They denounce the Pope and Church in exchange for their fifteen minutes of attention as news analysts.
I recommend this book to all Catholics and those interested in media bias issues. Warning: it's not pleasant reading - Jenkins lets the liberals' own words condemn them.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A very silly book
Review: I am a Catholic, I have been a Catholic since my baptism
at two days of age. Phillip Jenkin's book is just another
attempt by a scribbling Britt to make money and gain fame (of a sort) in the American neo-conservative river of money.
The most serious anti-Catholic manifestations in the United States are, as they have always been, contained in the conservative protestant evangelical movement. If you doubt this listen to their radio programs, go into their book stores and look for quotes by their leaders. For Jenkins to ignore this flood of anti-Catholic hatred to make a case that liberals (including a number of actual Catholics) are the source of scorn and hatred of the Catholic church and Catholics is dishonest.

To see real anti-Catholic diatribes you should try to find what people such as Jean Kirkpatrick and Al Haig said about the Church women murdered in El Salvador.

Jenkins is just another neo-con on the make.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The perfect book for any liberal American Catholic
Review: I think that everyone should be required to read this book, or at least every single liberal American Catholic. I cannot stand how many American Catholics (or Americans in general as the case may be) seem to not realize that the world is bigger than the USA and that not everyone will cater to our every whim. Jenkins repeats over and over that the Church is an international church and the Vatican has to take into account the beliefs of the many conservative Catholics in other parts of the world.

This book discusses how anti-Catholic attitudes come from the situations where it seems to be Catholics vs. women or gays or liberals (though until abortion became an issue, Catholics would have never thought of voting anything but Democrat). It also focuses mostly on how the media portrays Catholics in a bad light by always taking the point of view of the opposite side, even when those on the opposite side are committing what would be considered hate crimes if they were against any other religion.

Seriously, everyone should read this book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Finally!
Review: Jenkins has done it again. Hopefully this will be the first of many exposes of anti-Catholic bigotry. He has done all religions a great service by revealing the discrimination and hate that are heaped on Catholicism. Usually in the name of tolerance and by the most "liberal" of people. People who would never make a remark or joke about Jews, Muslims, or African-Americans have no problem doing so about Catholics. This book is a good scholarly first step towards fairness and respect. Make sure your library has a copy of this book on its shelves.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Raises good points but does not elaborate enough
Review: Jenkins opens up a war on multiple fronts with this controversial essay. While certainly not the only discriminated entity in this country, the Catholic Church has long been a popular and usually safe target for derision.

Jenkins takes the Left and the media at large to task for its callous tolerance of anti-Catholicism, but does not delve deeply enough. For instance, he acknowledges the sentiment of the Bible Belt, personified most famously by Bob Jones University, but then writes that element off in 1 page with little explanation, underestimating the emotional strength of their disdain. Moreover he sticks mostly to news outlets on the coasts, leaving the impression that he conducted his research as a rather casual spectator for 5 years or less.

Finally, his attacks against the Left ring one-sided and pedestrian. He cites a New York Post column as an example of the Left's anti-Catholic bent. Despite being a major news publication in a major media market, there is seldom anything in the tabloid that would pass for liberal. He falls for the trap of using buzz words like "feminists" and "homosexuals" as part of a liberal anti-Catholic movement, but both entities include too many subcategories to pose a single unified partisan affiliation (e.g. Log Cabin Republicans). They could just as easily be libertarian right or "neoconservative" as traditional left anymore and still oppose the Church. More recently Pope John Paul II himself openly opposed the war in Iraq, but liberals were certainly not the only ones to rebuke him for it. Another problem with his conservative outlook is that while he addresses JFK's election, he neglects the subtle prejudice from the current GOP, wherein no Catholic has ever risen beyond the rank of ostracized governor or senator (see George Ryan, George Voinovich), and the most purely Catholic politician has been aggressively marginalized (Pat Buchanan). If anything, that has only increased since the party expanded to former Dixiecrats.

Such a serious subject transcends party lines, but the author unfortunately does not. Such biases are forgivable, and sometimes necessary to provide a point of view in a critique. But in religious matters so integral to identity, it is necessary to stand outside shallow and arbitrary political boundaries, at which Jenkins fails. Despite this criticism, I recommend the book for its clarity and directness. Hopefully Jenkins' word on the subject will not be the last.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Interesting Read but Falls Short
Review: Jenkins' book is an interesting read but he fails to fully articulate on many of his main assertions. The book is difficult to follow early on but gets easier as it goes long. His use of resources and endnotes seems excessive at times but, overall, they are useful in helping him to support his thesis.

The strongest claim in the book deals with the bias regarding the portrayal of the church in television and movies. Jenkins illustrates this bias using concrete examples from Hollywood favories such as "The Godfather Part III." If I hadn't already seen the movie, I would most certainly rent it as a result of reading the book.

Jenkins falls short in other areas. He does not expand enough on the biases regarding pedophilia and homosexuality. Considering that these issues are very controversial now more than ever, one would have expected a more thorough analysis.

Jenkins does bring up some good statistics regarding pedophilia but needed to talk more about how this is not solely a problem in the Catholic church but in other demnomiations as well. The media has sunk their claws into the Catholic church's role in these crimes while few reports have surfaced regarding the same situation as it exists elsewhere.

Overall, the book is good but fails to fully deliver. I would recommend it to people who want an overall picture of the bias towards Catholicism.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Historical context helps to explain book's premise
Review: Many thought-provoking points are raised in Phillip Jenkin's book which make it an interesting read.

Much of today's negative opinion of Catholism (documented in The New Anti-Catholism) is the result of the scientific revolution and goes back to Galileo's trial and the issues debated in his 1633 trial, at the hands of the Inquisition. The trial ushered in a scientific mindset that everything scientific was good and true, and that all things religious, ie Catholic, were evil and bereft of reason.

How this shift in world perspective happened and why is examined in a recent book by Wade Rowland called Galileo's Mistake. Rowland contends that the clash between Galileo and the Church was not about Copernicus or astronomy or science, but whether science provides the only pathway to truth. Galileo's Mistake gives the historical context and reasons that explain Philip Jenkins' premise in The New Anti-Catholicism.


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