American Catholicism: The History of the Catholic Church in the U.S. and the Lives of America’s Great Catholics

By: R. Scott Appleby

Narrated by: R. Scott Appleby

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

We highly recommend this course to all history lovers.

Explore the extraordinary history of Catholicism in America from the discovery of the New World to our current age. Your guide, Professor R. Scott Appleby of the University of Notre Dame, is an amazingly erudite teacher and one of the leading historians of American Catholic history.

Through this compelling audio series, you will gain insight into the courage and faith of American Catholics through the ages. Explore stories spanning from the establishment of the Church in America to the growth of the early Christian communities. Follow the waves of Irish, German, Italian, Polish, and other immigrants, and discover how each group made extraordinary contributions to American history. Often seen as outsiders, how did Catholics come to live out their faith publicly and privately?

Professor Appleby analyzes the major Catholic debates and controversies, including the Americanist and Modernist crises and the more recent disputes over the meaning of Vatican II. You'll come to experience the rich texture of parish life during the heyday of "immigrant Catholicism." Encounter towering figures such as Archbishop John Carroll, Cardinal Gibbons, and Dorothy Day.

In short, these 24 talks form an invaluable and fascinating journey through the triumphs, burdens, achievements, and continuing struggles of the Catholic Church on American shores. Don't miss this series.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.

©2008 Now You Know Media Inc. (P)2008 Now You Know Media Inc.

An Historiographic Gem

Professor Appleby fashioned an ambitious title for this work, and he delivers brilliantly. First, though, I would urge potential listeners to disregard a previous review, which appears below. The title of the review suggests that Appleby’s work is an editorial rather than a history; I can assure you that Appleby has written no editorial, and in fact has produced a historiographic gem revealing the fascinating drama of the Roman Catholic Church in America, as well as key Catholic figures who built and shaped the Catholic Church in America. As to the actual review—which is in complete contradiction to the title of the review—a simple consideration of Appleby’s title makes clear that his work is historiography. This is a work of history; not evangelism, not apologetics, but history written by a skilled and eminently qualified historian. If one wants evangelism and Catholic living, might I suggest the works of Archbishop Fulton Sheen? If one wants apologetics, perhaps Scott Hahn might be more to one’s liking. But for anyone interested in the story of the Roman Catholic Church in the British Colonies and the new Nation, “American Catholicism: The History of the Catholic Church in the U.S. and the Lives of America’s Great Catholics” is an extraordinary and enjoyable work. One could rightly quibble with the performance—and specifically with the narrator’s style, rhythm, and mispronunciations—but one cannot fault the historiography. This is a valuable and much needed contribution to what until now has been a neglected aspect of American religious history.

John H. Hudson, Ph.D.

An editorial rather than a history.

Sadly, this book was over focused on political power with a skeptical view of the apostolic tradition put in place by Jesus Christ himself. It would have been nice to hear about those who most believe in Jesus Christ in America rather than those who sought social and political gains. Ultimately the faith of Jesus Christ is about union with him by way of his church, his words and his sacraments.