Catholicism and Americanism

[Eric_Prine]

Hi, I am recently trying to learn about the history of Catholicism in the United States and had come across that Pope Leo XIII had written many concerns he had with a possible “Americanist” version of Catholicism happening ( Longinqua oceani, Testem benevolentiae nostrae). I was wondering if there were any book suggestions delving more into the ethos of American Catholicism. As I was reading The Catholic Imagination by Fr Andrew Greeley, I realized that my mindset towards society, relationships, and politics are very much shaped by my American Calvinist upbringing. But I was also wondering how much American Calvinist ideas shape even cradle Catholics towards topics such as capitalism, social justice, etc.

Would there be a benefit of ever developing a Catholic political party in the U.S.? By aligning ourselves with any current party, do we unintentionally adopt less than Catholic ideas and solutions for society? Being a convert with predominately Protestant friends and family, I was wondering how much more inner parts of me need to be “baptized” that I am not aware of.

 

[John_Martin]

The United States is a kingdom of this world, a nation established by the will and plan of men. We are citizens of a Kingdom of Heaven, a Kingdom established from Heaven when our King was baptized, anointed as our King.
Listen to what Peter says, in the second chapter of his first letter:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

You could substitute the word “Americans” for “Gentiles”
Then take a look at many of the early Church Fathers, beginning their letters addressing their readers as “sojourners”. There is an especially well written description of this in the Letter to Diognetus, where the Christian is described to a non-believer to whom the letter was addressed.

For Christians cannot be distinguished from the rest of the human race by country or language or customs.  They do not live in cities of their own; they do not use a peculiar form of speech; they do not follow an eccentric manner of life.  This doctrine of theirs has not been discovered by the ingenuity or deep thought of inquisitive men, nor do they put forward a merely human teaching, as some people do.  Yet, although they live in Greek and barbarian cities alike, as each man’s lot has been cast, and follow the customs of the country in clothing and food and other matters of daily living, at the same time they give proof of the remarkable and admittedly extraordinary constitution of their own commonwealth.  They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land.  They marry, like everyone else, and they beget children, but they do not cast out their offspring.  They share their board with each other, but not their marriage bed.  It is true that they are “in the flesh,” but they do not live “according to the flesh.” They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require.  They love all men, and by all men are persecuted.  They are unknown, and still they are condemned; they are put to death, and yet they are brought to life.  They are poor, and yet they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance.  They are dishonored, and in their very dishonor are glorified; they are defamed, and are vindicated.  They are reviled, and yet they bless; when they are affronted, they still pay due respect.  When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; undergoing punishment, they rejoice because they are brought to life.  They are treated by the Jews as foreigners and enemies, and are hunted down by the Greeks; and all the time those who hate them find it impossible to justify their enmity. ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.x.i.ii.html

Know yourself as a Catholic, sojourning in America, granted a secondary citizenship in America but being loyal to your King and waiting for him.

 

[phil19034]

I highly recommend this book by Russell Shaw, American Church: The Remarkable Rise, Meteoric Fall, and Uncertain Future of Catholicism in America.

You can buy it from Amazon here: amzn.to/2dqwv8g

He also has a new book, which I haven’t read yet, but really want to called, Catholics in America: Religious Identity and Cultural Assimilation from John Carroll to Flannery O’Connor.

You can by that one from Amazon here: amzn.to/2duf0mG

Both books were published by the Ignatius Press, so you know they are good.

 

[Charlemagne_III]

Catholicism and Americanism in many respect are at odds with each other. Americanism is democratic, Catholicism is monarchistic. Christ is a king, not an elected representative of the people who can be replaced from time to time by another more popular “president.”.

The political philosophy of democracy has somewhat infected the Catholic Church, and there are many Catholics who believe their morals and their religious belief can be voted upon, as if they were introducing and voting on American laws. Even a current Catholic candidate for vice-President unbelievably has announced that the Church will someday endorse same-sex marriage. This reflects about as corrupt a notion of Catholicism as you can find among Catholic politicians today and reveals how much work yet needs to be done to re-evangelize the Catholic Church in America.

Eric, welcome to the fold. Do not be discouraged by Catholics who have lost their way.

 

[goout]

I attend a bible study with some other good men.
Several of them see the US as God’s chosen instrument to spread the Gospel and defend the Church against all the scary things out there. They truly have a sense that the US is going to last forever, as if it were the new promised land.

I tell them to take a serious look around at our culture.

Consider: We live in a land that cannot make a distinction between a man and a woman. Stop and think about that for a second. That is not stability, it’s insanity.

Just on the basis of demographics alone, the US will not survive in the form that we know it. We are contracepting ourselves into oblivion.

But as a Christian I am hopeful and optimistic because I know someone who rose from the dead. :extrahappy:

 

[Richard_White]

The United States is a kingdom of this world, a nation established by the will and plan of men. We are citizens of a Kingdom of Heaven, a Kingdom established from Heaven when our King was baptized, anointed as our King.
Listen to what Peter says, in the second chapter of his first letter:

You could substitute the word “Americans” for “Gentiles”
Then take a look at many of the early Church Fathers, beginning their letters addressing their readers as “sojourners”. There is an especially well written description of this in the Letter to Diognetus, where the Christian is described to a non-believer to whom the letter was addressed.
Know yourself as a Catholic, sojourning in America, granted a secondary citizenship in America but being loyal to your King and waiting for him.

I love the passages that you quoted! Thank you so much for sharing them!

May God bless you all!