American Catholicism: And Now Where?

Deedy, former editor of Commonweal and author of The Catholic Fact Book, sounds a cautionary note in this incisive assessment of the Catholic Church in America. In ferment since the 1960s, the Church today is, in Deedy's view, in transition, in the process of becoming a two-tiered institution of belief and worship, made up of indifferent people whose attachment is cultural, rather than spiritual. The author examines issues of ecclesiastical discipline, which often are confused by the laity, with questions of theological and doctrinal orthodoxy. As old structures give way and vocations to religious life dwindle, and as ""so much of faith is internalized and appropriated to the individual conscience,'' writes Deedy, there is urgency for the Church, in the light of recent Vatican rulings, to catch up with its flock. The perplexities of contemporary Catholics are addressed in this balanced and reflective analysis. (October 15)