Unruly Catholics From Dante to Madonna : Faith, Heresy, and Politics in Cultural Studies

During the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church went through a period of liberal reform under the stewardship of Popes John XXIII and Paul VI. Successive popes sharply reversed course, enforcing conservative ideological values and silencing progressive voices in the Church. Consequently, those Catholics who had embraced the spirit of Vatican II were left feeling adrift and betrayed. In Unruly Catholics from Dante to Madonna , scholars of literature, film, religion, history, and sociology delve into this conflict–and historically similar ones–through the examination of narratives by and about rebellious Catholics. Essays in Unruly Catholics explore how renowned Catholic literary figures Dante Alighieri, Oscar Wilde, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, and Gerard Manley Hopkins dealt with the disparities between their personal beliefs and the Church’s official teachings. Contributors also suggest how controversial entertainers such as Madonna, Kevin Smith, Michael Moore, and Stephen Colbert practice forms of Catholicism perhaps worthy of respect. Most pointedly, Unruly Catholics addresses the recent sex abuse scandals, considers the possibility that the Church might be reformed from within, and presents three iconic figures–Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and C.S. Lewis–as models of compassionate and reformist Christianity. During the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church went through a period of liberal reform under the stewardship of popes John XXIII and Paul VI. Successive popes sharply reversed course, enforcing conservative ideological values and silencing progressive voices in the Church. Consequently, those Catholics who had embraced the spirit of Vatican II were left feeling adrift and betrayed. In Unruly Catholics from Dante to Madonna, scholars of literature, film, religion, history, and sociology delve into this conflict-and historically similar ones-through the examination of narratives by and about rebellious Catholics. Essays in Unruly Catholics explore how renowned Catholic literary figures Dante Alighieri, Oscar Wilde, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, and Gerard Manley Hopkins dealt with the disparities between their personal beliefs and the Church's official teachings. Contributors also suggest how controversial entertainers such as Madonna, Kevin Smith, Michael Moore, and Stephen Colbert practice forms of Catholicism perhaps worthy of respect. Most pointedly, Unruly Catholics addresses the recent sex-abuse scandals, considers the possibility that the Church might be reformed from within, and presents three iconic figures-Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and C. S. Lewis-as models of compassionate and reformist Christianity. Book jacket Pt. 1: Cafeteria Catholics Vs. Orthodox Catholics: Literary Models Of Roman Catholicism -- Dante: Cafeteria Catholic? / Ronald B. Herzman -- Graham Green, Believing Skeptic / Darren J.n.middleton -- Wild(e) Religion: The Legacy Of Oscar Wilde For Queer Theology / Frederick S. Roden -- Queering The Eucharist: Gerard Manley Hopkinss The Blessed Virgin / Kathryn Inskeep -- Holy Fools In Waugh's Brideshead Revisited And Helena / Adam Deville -- Pt. 2: Catholicism And The American Culture Wars -- Chasing Amy, Dogma, And Red State: How Kevin Smith's Spirituality Speaks To Generation X / John Kenneth Muir -- The Catholic Worker Ethic And The Spirit Of Marxism / Kate Henley Avrett -- Rosemary's Baby And Cold War Catholicism / Thomas Aiello -- The Tragedy Of Power In The Godfather And Star Wars / Douglas Williams -- Pt. 3: A Roadmap For Reform -- Roma Locuta Est, Causa Finita Est: Power, Discursivity, And The Roman Catholic Hierarchy / Dan Wood. Edited By Marc Dipaolo. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.