More than 20 percent of Americans are Catholic, and overall membership in the Catholic Church has remained relatively steady even as increasing numbers of people claim no religious affiliation. The rising prominence of Catholics in important leadership positions and critical demographic changes to the US population that have been mirrored in the Church have brought the Catholic Church and its members into public conversations, bringing renewed attention to the country's single largest religious organization. Yet misperceptions about who Catholics are today, their religious beliefs and practices, and their attitudes regarding important political and social issues are pervasive.
Catholics in America provides a contemporary social portrait of this large, increasingly influential group that clarifies who Catholics are and what they really believe. Lisa Keister, a sociologist with decades of experience studying Americans' social and economic behaviors and attitudes, draws on extensive empirical evidence to uncover the real story of today's Catholics. She offers a fresh, new glimpse into the reality of the family behaviors, work and economic status, and beliefs of Catholics. She pays particular attention to differences between those who have left, joined, and stayed with the Church, and she documents important--sometimes dramatic--differences among Catholics that may define the Church in coming decades.
The presence of Catholics in the country's highest positions and their voice in critical national conversations about issues such as abortion testify to the significance of their beliefs and attitudes. Catholics in America will be an important guide for anyone wanting to understand the personal and religious foundations of today's Catholics.
Chapter 1: Introduction: Catholics in America Part 1. Origins, Turning Points, and Achievements Chapter 2: Social Origins Chapter 3: Family: Marriage, Divorce, and Fertility Chapter 4: Achievements: Education, Work, Income, and Wealth Chapter 5: Catholicism Evolving: Leaving, Joining, and Staying with the Church Part 2. Beliefs and Attitudes Chapter 6: Religious Beliefs and Practices Chapter 7: Politics Chapter 8: Social Issues Chapter 9: Conclusion Appendix
Lisa A. Keister is Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. She is also an affiliate of the Duke Network Analysis Center and the Duke Population Research Initiative. Her research focuses on elite households and the processes that explain extremes in wealth and income inequality. She also has a long-standing interest in the role that religion plays in inequality, including an interest in the changing role that Catholics play in American society.
