Paul Hanly Furfey: Priest, Scientist, Social Reformer (Catholic Practice in North America)

Paul Hanly Furfey (1896-1992) is one of U.S. Catholicism’s greatest champions of peace and social justice. In a career that spanned over five decades, Furfey attempted to compose a coherent and penetrating social reform agenda in theory and practice from the elements available to him at any given time. He attempted to remain as objective as possible by remaining attentive to facts derived from social analysis; the corporate wisdom of the Catholic Church; and best practices in the field, whether from professional social work, the personalism of radical Catholic social justice groups, or the praxis based approach of liberation theology. First and foremost, Furfey viewed his role in terms of an intellectual apostolate. Clearly, Furfey’s pursuit of objectivity in this apostolate did not blunt his criticism. His social analysis, especially as filtered through his reading of the Christian theological tradition, revealed an unwavering and, at times, prophetic preferential option for the poor. He communicated this message through his role as a priest, scholar, and educator. Furfey’s revolutionary view of the university as a center for social transformation is paradigmatic of his contribution. Education of students and scholarship were central to his work. He also encouraged the creation of structures that would empower and transform the communities that surrounded the university. He and his colleagues developed social settlement communities that drew on the latest social scientific research and technique while at the same time incorporating principles that they learned from radical Catholics like Dorothy Day and Catherine de Hueck Doherty. Nicholas Rademacher’s book is meticulously researched and clearly written, shedding new light on Monsignor Paul Hanly Furfey’s life by drawing on Furfey’s copious published material and substantial archival deposit. Paul Hanly Furfey (1896–1992) is one of U.S. Catholicism’s greatest champions of peace and social justice. He and his colleagues at The Catholic University of America offered a revolutionary view of the university as a center for social transformation, not only in training students to be agents for social change but also in establishing structures which would empower and transform the communities that surrounded the university. In part a response to the Great Depression, their social settlement model drew on the latest social scientific research and technique while at the same time incorporating principles they learned from radical Catholics like Dorothy Day and Catherine de Hueck Doherty. Likewise, through his academic scholarship and popular writings, Furfey offered an alternative vision of the social order and identified concrete steps to achieve that vision. Indeed, Furfey remains a compelling exemplar for anyone who pursues truth, beauty, and justice, especially within the context of higher education and the academy. Leaving behind an important legacy for Catholic sociology, Furfey demonstrated how to balance liberal, radical, and revolutionary social thought and practice to elicit new approaches to social reform. Cover -- Paul Hanly Furfey -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Archives -- Introduction: Viewing Paul Hanly Furfey's Contribution against a Wide Horizon -- 1 Coming of Age in the Archdiocese of Boston -- 2 Learning Constructive Civic Engagement at the Catholic University of America -- 3 Engaging Debate Concerning Public Catholicism -- 4 Pursuing Salvation on the Playground -- 5 Reimagining Social Reform -- 6 Placing Social Justice at the Center of the Sociology Department -- 7 Encouraging Coreligionists in the Academy: "Let's Be Extremely Catholic and Extremely Scientific at Once"--8 Tending the Holy in Pursuit of Social Justice -- 9 Pursuing Social Justice in the Academy and Higher Education -- 10 Recapitulating the Just Society in a Word: "Love. Just Love."--Epilogue: Identifying the Role of the Catholic Intellectual -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index Viewing Paul Hanly Furfey's Contribution Against A Wide Horizon -- Coming Of Age In The Archdiocese Of Boston -- Learning Constructive Civic Engagement At The Catholic University Of America -- Engaging Debate Concerning Public Catholicism -- Pursuing Salvation On The Playground -- Reimagining Social Reform -- Placing Social Justice At The Center Of The Sociology Department -- Encouraging Coreligionists In The Academy: Let's Be Extremely Catholic And Extremely Scientific At Once -- Tending The Holy In Pursuit Of Social Justice -- Pursuing Social Justice In The Academy And Higher Education -- Recapitulating The Just Society In A Word: Love. Just Love -- Identifying The Role Of The Catholic Intellectual. Nicholas K. Rademacher. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This title recounts and analyzes Paul Hanly Furfey's contribution to Catholic social thought and practice in the fields of sociology, social work, and higher education across the twentieth-century in his roles as priest, scholar, educator, and social reformer A biography of the priest who passionately pursued peace and social justice through his role as professor at Catholic University of America. -- Back cover