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From the publisher:
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is too often presented as an abstract ideal, detached from the actual parish settings in which it is implemented. This study takes the opposite approach. Based on data from participant observation and interviews, the authors tell “real stories” of the initiation process in five U.S. parishes. In doing so, they offer a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the RCIA process in each of the parishes. From these stories collectively they draw lessons for the RCIA as well as lessons from the RCIA for the church as a whole.
Advance reviews:
"The authors note that the RCIA has been an inspiring ideal in the Catholic Church, yet empirically very little is known about it. There are a host of ‘how to’ books, but most of these books lack any concrete qualitative data on how the actual practice of initiation unfolds in a common parish setting. I agree. And Dr. Yamane’s book is one of the first to begin to address and fill this empirical gap in the literature. Although the book addresses broader issues such as the length of the RCIA process, the classroom model approach to catechesis, ecumenical sensitivities, and core Catholic identity markers, some of its most promising and helpful date are those descriptions that, for example, tell of a fireman brought to tears and the RCIA team members who were there to receive them. In other words, this book begins to describe some of the mirco-sociological moments and experiences that occur during the RCIA, experiences that one researcher claimed were ‘the most powerful’ of all. There are a host of prominent sociologists who would agree: Emile Durkheim, G.H. Mead, Erving Goffman, and Randall Collins to mention only a few. Certainly, RCIA coordinators would benefit from reading this book, but so would all who partake in pastoral ministry of whatever kind at the parish level." --Michael McCallion, Director, Office of Pastoral Resources, Archdiocese of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan
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Published in February 2006 by The Liturgical Press.
ISBN: 081461826X (paper only)
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Lit Press On-line
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From the Publisher:
The political advocacy of the American Catholic Bishops at the state level is one of the Church's best-kept secrets. In this groundbreaking work, David Yamane reveals the rich history, accomplishments, and challenges of bishops and their lay colleagues in local politics. Through sociological analysis, up-to-date examples, and personal interviews, Yamane explains how the local Catholic advocacy organizations in thirty-three states and Washington, D.C., negotiate the tension between the prophetic demands of faith and the political realities of secular political institutions.
Advance Reviews:
"David Yamane's book, The Catholic Church in State Politics, is an extraordinary, subtle, and intelligent analysis of a complex matter. It demonstrates conclusively that by and large the state Catholic conferences have worked out a way of representing religion in the public marketplace with skill, intelligence, and balance."—Andrew M. Greeley, Best-selling author, and Professor of Sociology at the University of Arizona and Research Associate with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago
"With its empirical focus on policy advocacy by state-level Catholic Conferences, The Catholic Church in State Politics fills in a long-felt scholarly gap for understanding American Catholicism and politics. It deserves to be widely read by sociologists of religion. Deftly written, Yamane's book will be of broader interest to those who study politics, secularization theory and religious organizational structures. Yamane shows how the dual structure of religious lobby groups ( relying not just on religious grounding but also on lay expertise) constrains and enables them to mesh religious legitimacy with secular competence and language, shielding them, thereby, from any overly narrow sectarian stance"—John A. Coleman S.J., Casassa Professor of Social Values, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
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Published in September 2005 by Rowman & Littlefield.
ISBN:
0742532305 (cloth)
0742532291 (paper)
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From R&L On-line (15% off)
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Reviews:
As convincing in its analysis as [Full Pews, Empty Altars] was in its statistics."--Garry Wills, The New York Times Book Review
"This book will bring rich rewards to all who delve into its pages and ensures that Richard Schoenherr will be remembered as one of the truly prophetic social scientists of the study of the priesthood."--National Catholic Reporter
"[Goodbye Father] concerns much more than an argument about who should be ordained; his significant scholarly reflection on the interplay between religion and modern society deserve serious study....Exceptional is Schoenherr's analysis of the social conditions that are changing the face of Roman Catholicism and virtually every dimension of ministry."--America
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Published in hardcover (2002) and paperback (2003) by Oxford University Press.
ISBN:
0195082591 (cloth)
0195175751 (paper)
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From OUP On-line ($19.95)
bn.com : $19.95
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