The New Anti-Catholicism

The Last Acceptable Prejudice

De: Philip Jenkins

Narrado por: Raymond Scully

Anti-Catholicism has a long history in America. And as Philip Jenkins argues in The New Anti-Catholicism, this virulent strain of hatred - once thought dead - is alive and well in our nation, but few people seem to notice, or care. A statement that is seen as racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, or homophobic can haunt a speaker for years, writes Jenkins, but it is still possible to make hostile and vituperative public statements about Roman Catholicism without fear of serious repercussions. Jenkins shines a light on anti-Catholic sentiment in American society and illuminates its causes, looking closely at gay and feminist anti-Catholicism, anti-Catholic rhetoric and imagery in the media, and the anti-Catholicism of the academic world.

For newspapers and newsmagazines, for television news and in movies, for major book publishers, the Catholic Church has come to provide a grossly stereotyped public villain. Catholic opinions, doctrines, and individual leaders are frequently the butt of harsh satire. Indeed, the notion that the church is a deadly enemy of women - the idea of Catholic misogyny - is commonly accepted in the news media and in popular culture, says Jenkins. And the recent pedophile priest scandal, he shows, has revived many ancient anti-Catholic stereotypes. It was said that with the election of John F. Kennedy, anti-Catholicism in America was dead. This provocative new audiobook corrects that illusion, drawing attention to this important issue.

©2006 Philip Jenkins (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A Fair Work

It is very fair, so much so that I entered feeling unprejudiced but left a little unsure of how Catholics have reacted to certain controversies.

A sicial scientist's recognition of anti-Catholicism

I was very impressed by the historical research into American anti-Catholicism as well as the research into modern Catholic situation. The author, a social scientist who lays out his own background as a former Catholic, presents a fair view of anti-Catholics, their inconsistent values, and a realistic view of actual Catholic problems, such as the clerical abuse crisis. This is extremely well researched and is well done

Can not recommend highly enough!

If you could sum up The New Anti-Catholicism in three words, what would they be?

Truth well told.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Pope Pius XII, because his treatment truly epitomizes everything about anti-Catholic prejudice that this book is shining it's light upon.

Have you listened to any of Raymond Scully’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. But, far too dense and lengthy for that.

Any additional comments?

I am Catholic and I really appreciate this non-Catholic author's intellectual honesty and unjaundiced view. I, like so many uninformed Catholics, was unwittingly 'catechized' by the unflinchingly bigoted and remarkably anti-Catholic media and cultural milieu. Beaten down by this, I left the Church for awhile, not even realizing that most of what I had learned was untrue. I came back to the Church and am much happier for it. But, raising Catholic kids in this society is near impossible. This book - especially chapters 7 and 9 - have really helped me to see the facts in spite of the propaganda. The discussion on 'Hitler's Pope' was riveting, and the genesis of, and statistical truth around the so called 'pedophile priest' scandal was even more so.