Catholicism and the Shaping of Nineteenth Century America

Offers a series of fresh perspectives on America's encounter with Catholicism in the nineteenth-century. While religious and immigration historians have construed this history in univocal terms, Jon Gjerde bridges sectarian divides by presenting Protestants and Catholics in conversation with each other. In so doing, Gjerde reveals the ways in which America's encounter with Catholicism was much more than a story about American nativism. Nineteenth-century religious debates raised questions about the fundamental underpinnings of the American state and society: the shape of the antebellum market economy, gender roles in the American family, and the place of slavery were only a few of the issues engaged by Protestants and Catholics in a lively and enduring dialectic. While the question of the place of Catholics in America was left unresolved, the very debates surrounding this question generated multiple conceptions of American pluralism and American national identity.

Catholicism and the Shaping of Nineteenth-Century America offers a series of fresh perspectives on one of the most familiar themes – the nation's encounter with Catholicism – in nineteenth-century American history. While religious and immigration historians have construed this history in univocal terms, Jon Gjerde bridges sectarian divides by presenting Protestants and Catholics in conversation with each other. In so doing, Gjerde reveals the ways in which America's encounter with Catholicism was much more than a story about American nativism. Nineteenth-century religious debates raised questions about the fundamental underpinnings of the American state and society: the shape of the antebellum market economy, the transformation of gender roles in the American family, and the place of slavery in an ostensibly democratic polity were only a few of the issues engaged by Protestants and Catholics in a lively and enduring dialectic. While the question of the place of Catholics in America was left unresolved, the very debates surrounding this question generated multiple conceptions of American pluralism and American national identity.

Catholicism And The Shaping Of Nineteenth-century America Offers One Of The First Comparative Treatments Of Protestant And Catholic History In Nineteenth-century America. Gjerde Argues That Protestant-catholic Conflicts Helped Shape The Nation, Fostering The Development Of Broader Ideas About Religious Diversity In American Society-- Editor's Preface By S. Deborah Kang -- Introduction -- The Protestant Conundrum -- The Catholic Conundrum -- Conversion And The West -- Schools And The State -- Protestant And Catholic Critiques Of Family And Women -- The American Economy And Social Justice -- Editor's Epilogue By S. Deborah Kang. Jon Gjerde ; Edited By S. Deborah Kang. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Machine generated contents note: 1. Editor's preface S. Deborah Kang; 2. Introduction Jon Gjerde; 3. The Protestant conundrum Jon Gjerde; The Catholic conundrum Jon Gjerde; 4. Conversion and the West Jon Gjerde; 5. Schools and the state Jon Gjerde; 6. Protestant and Catholic critiques of family and women Jon Gjerde; 7. The American economy and social justice Jon Gjerde; 8. Epilogue S. Deborah Kang. "Catholicism and the Shaping of Nineteenth-Century America offers one of the first comparative treatments of Protestant and Catholic history in nineteenth-century America. Gjerde argues that Protestant-Catholic conflicts helped shape the nation, fostering the development of broader ideas about religious diversity in American society"-- Provided by publisher