Description: Who are American Catholics and what do they believe and practice? This volume is both a probing, well-crafted portrait of the largest religious denomination in the United States today and an assessment of its contributions to American religion and culture. Emphasizing the post-Vatican II era, Chester Gillis offers a cogent survey of U.S. Catholic history, and goes on to explore the various roles and missions of the church in such issues as education, health care, and charity. Throughout the book, he explores the persistent tension between the faith's traditional authority in Rome and its incarnation in America, which is influenced by a thoroughly modern, dynamic, and secular culture.

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