The Catholic Myth: The Behavior and Beliefs of American Catholics

With characteristic insouciance, Greeley, professor of sociology at the University of Arizona and bestselling novelist, sets himself the task of defining contemporary Catholicism as practiced in the U.S. What he describes as ``the fascinating, wonderful and slightly daffy story of American Catholicism since the end of the Second Vatican Council'' is explored with imaginative departures based on sociometric analyses generated at the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center. Greeley's conclusion that Catholics remain in their institutional church ``because they like being Catholic, because of loyalty to the imagery of the Catholic imagination . . . '' is buttressed by his often angry, sometimes humorous attacks on established Church figures such as St. Augustine, for his sexism. This lively, readable assessment of contemporary Catholicism may affront some readers, but will likely stimulate and challenge others. (Mar.)