NEW ANTI CATHOLICISM

by Philip Jenkins

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 book corrects that illusion, drawing attention to this important issue.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Catholic, Christianity, Politics, History

271 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

John Philip Jenkins was born in Wales in 1952. He was educated at Clare College, in the University of Cambridge, where he took a prestigious “Double First” degree—that is, Double First Class Honors. In 1978, he obtained his doctorate in history, also from Cambridge. Since 1980, he has taught at Penn State University, and currently holds the rank of Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities. He is also a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion.

Though his original training was in early modern British history, he has since moved to studying a wide range of contemporary topics and issues, especially in the realm of religion.

Jenkins is a well-known commentator on religion, past and present. He has published 24 books, including The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South and God's Continent: Christianity, Islam and Europe's Religious Crisis (Oxford University Press). His latest books, published by HarperOne, are The Lost History of Christianity and Jesus Wars (2010).

His book The Next Christendom in particular won a number of honors. USA Today named it one of the top religion books of 2002; and Christianity Today described The Next Christendom as a “contemporary classic.” An essay based on this book appeared as a cover story in the Atlantic Monthly in October 2002, and this article was much reprinted in North America and around the world, appearing in German, Swiss, and Italian magazines.

His other books have also been consistently well received. Writing in Foreign Affairs in 2003, Sir Lawrence Freedman said Jenkins's Images of Terror was “a brilliant, uncomfortable book, its impact heightened by clear, restrained writing and a stunning range of examples.”

Jenkins has spoken frequently on these diverse themes. Since 2002, he has delivered approximately eighty public lectures just on the theme of global Christianity, and has given numerous presentations on other topics. He has published articles and op-ed pieces in many media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, New Republic, Foreign Policy, First Things, and Christian Century. In the European media, his work has appeared in the Guardian, Rheinischer Merkur, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Welt am Sonntag, and the Kommersant (Moscow). He is often quoted in news stories on religious issues, including global Christianity, as well as on the subject of conflicts within the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, and controversies concerning cults and new religious movements. The Economist has called him “one of America's best scholars of religion.”

Over the last decade, Jenkins has participated in several hundred interviews with the mass media, newspapers, radio, and television. He has been interviewed on Fox's The Beltway Boys, and has appeared on a number of CNN documentaries and news specials covering a variety of topics, including the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, as well as serial murder and aspects of violent crime. The 2003 television documentary Battle for Souls (Discovery Times Channel) was largely inspired by his work on global Christianity. He also appeared on the History Channel special, Time Machine: 70s Fever (2009).

Jenkins is much heard on talk radio, including multiple appearances on NPR's All Things Considered, and on various BBC and RTE programs. In North America, he has been a guest on the widely syndicated radio programs of Diane Rehm, Michael Medved, and James Kennedy; he has appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air, as well as the nationally broadcast Canadian shows Tapestry and Ideas. His media appearances include newspapers and radio stations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Brazil, as well as in many different regions of the United States.

Because of its relevance to policy issues, Jenkins's work has attracted the attention of gove

Reviews

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Browsing through this book in the library, I saw this funny quote as an epigraph to the last chapter: "In this world we have seen the Roman Catholic power dying ... for many centuries. Many a time we have gotten all ready for the funeral and found it postponed again, on account of the weather or something. ... Apparently one of the most uncertain things in the world is the funeral of a religion." (Mark Twain)

When I started reading the book, I thought it was going to make me angry... The author describes a few incidents of desecration of Catholic churches and the way media ignored them. But it's not the main focus after all. The first chapter is about how to determine what is prejudice and what isn't. Criticism of certain people within Catholic church isn't, but generalizing from those persons, that the behavior they are criticized for is a direct result of their religion, and that "this is what Catholics (or Jews, or persons of other other religion) are like, this is what they do" would indeed be prejudice. It also analyzes whether ex-Catholics and even those who still call themselves Catholic can be anti-Catholic or anti-clerical. Then the book traces the anti-Catholic prejudice through a bit of history.

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I think I gained some insight into the gay anti-Catholicism,

"Centrally, the gay rights movement stresses the extreme and direct danger posed to its community, showing that the movement is an urgent necessity, a basic form of self-defense. The message is that gay rights is not an optional or whimsical cause; it is an essential means of saving lives. That idea means emphasizing threatening issues such as hate crimes and AIDS, in which lives are at risk. Once the seriousness of these issues achieves widespread public recognition, they can be used rhetorically to stigmatize other political enemies through a kind of guilt by association. If AIDS and hate crime are such a pressing danger, then any cause that can plausibly be seen as contributing to these dangers must be seen as lethally threatening." (p. 100)

So to them it doesn't matter that Catholic Church condemns any discrimination and violence against homosexuals, if it says that homosexual activity is evil and intrinsically disordered - because that can still lead someone to hate crimes. And the degree of involvement doesn't matter. Is that rational?

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The author of the book doesn't necessarily argue that anti-Catholic prejudice is particularly bad, but rather he highlights the apparent double standards, in that anti-Catholicism is "the last acceptable prejudice" - the people are quite sensitive to other types of prejudice (e.g. against blacks or Jews), but are prone to dismiss anti-Catholicism. "When Catholics protest that images are anti-Catholic, their objections prove that Catholics are 'sheep', their leaders heresy hunters, and their clergy lying hypocrites; moreover, anti-Catholicism does not exist." (p. 129)

He argues that maybe the Americans are too sensitive to those other issues. "The question is not why American studios bankroll films that will annoy and offend Catholics, but why they do not more regularly present subject matter that would be equally uncomfortable or objectionable to other traditions or interest groups. If they did, American films would be more interesting as well as more consistent. If works of art are to offend, they should do it on an equal-opportunity basis." (p. 167)

I'm not sure if I agree with that. I suppose it would make things interesting, shake things up, open up discussions. But on the other hand, we shouldn't rush into it. Since the anti-Catholic bias is so embedded and we are too desensitized, Jenkins occasionally puts it in perspective in terms we can see, and gives illustrations of what might be seen as comparable prejudice about blacks, Jews, gays, Muslims that would match some of the attacks on Catholicism. And well, I wouldn't like to see those realized.

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This is an important book to read. I agree with this review by Michael Novak (from the back cover):

"This is an astonishing book. Most of us get used to the contempt heaped upon the Catholic Church by nice, liberal people (as if such contempt were only to be expected), so we stop thinking of it as the gross deformity of soul it is. Jenkins, once a Catholic but no longer, quietly amasses evidence about more types of prejudice and bigotry against Catholics than most of us are conscious of. He is particularly good at diagnosing 'the black legends' about Catholicism which everybody 'knows' are true--the Crusades, the Inquisition, 'silence' regarding the Holocaust--and the inner agitation of 'anti-Catholic Catholics', who have internalized the world's contempt. A serious, original, provocative study."

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother with this one.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be read more widely. Written by a scholar who has left the Catholic Church, it provides history and insight, from someone with no reason to defend the Church, into a prejudice that somehow escaped the penetrating, "all-inclusive" gaze of political correctness. Without vilifying any party, he examines useful definitions of Anti-Catholicism, documents manifestations of it in history, and points out common rhetorical crutches now used widely by both secular and ostensibly religious attackers. Most useful are sections where the author points out where the Church has many challenges balancing orthodoxy with conscience and free thought, and in understanding the roles of its members both lay and clerical. The treatment is not at all technical from the doctrinal perspective, and is accessible to a wide audience.

I recommend this text to Catholics trying to make sense of the apparent constant barrage of attacks on the Church and its clerical hierarchy, and especially to those who have a personal quarrel with the Church, to see some of the commonly received myths about the history of the Church and its failings commonly wielded as weapons by widely read and respected journalists to advance a form of pernicious bigotry under the guise of reform-minded discourse.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book, though it could do with a new edition (it is two pontificates out of date now, and I would be curious to read Jenkins' thoughts on the Francis Effect). The book contains a thorough breakdown of the forces arrayed against Catholicism in modern American culture, a good overview, but definitely not news for Catholic believers. I wish there were some way of getting this information to the general public, who may not realize that the 19th century Know-Nothings, modern feminists, the LGBT movement, and the KKK have all been on the same side when it comes to the Catholic Church.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

DO THE MASS MEDIA (AND OTHERS) ALLOW STEREOTYPING AND PREJUDICE AGAINST CATHOLICS?

Philip Jenkins (born 1952) teaches history and religious studies at Penn State University and Baylor University; he has written many other books such as 'Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis,' 'Hidden Gospels: How the Search for Jesus Lost Its Way,' 'The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity,' 'Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses,' etc.

He wrote in the Preface to this 1952 book, "Over the past decade, I have worked on a number of controversial topics involving Catholicism, particularly the theme of child abuse by clergy... I argued that the reality of the 'pedophile priest' issue was quite different from what was being presented by the mass media, and that the number of priests involved in this behavior was significantly smaller than was commonly assumed... my attitude was seen by some as a defense of the Church...

"As a result, I have often been asked about my personal relationship to Catholicism. I was a member of the Roman Catholic Church for many years, but I left, without any particular rancor, and since the late 1980s, I have been a member of the Episcopal Church... I have never been a member of the clergy... I have no vested interest in defending the Roman Catholic Church, nor can I fairly be described as an uncritical defender of Catholic positions."

He notes, "Anti-Catholic sentiment also played an overt political role in the post-Al Smith world. The obvious power of Catholic political machines in the New Deal coalition was a source of continuing grievance for the Republicans... Though nothing like as visible as the Klan, anti-Catholic organizations remained in existence... the fact that the Catholic Church rigidly prohibited its members from becoming Masons gave the nation's lodges a strictly non-Catholic, and often anti-Catholic, coloring... Anti-papist fears in the 1930s were galvanized by the demagogic career of Father Charles Coughlin. Particularly after Coughlin's shift to anti-Semitic ranting in 1938-1939, liberals and mainstream Protestants wrote widely of an explicit Catholic threat..." (Pg. 34-35)

He observes, "Today, while Catholic loyalties remain strong, large segments of the laity differ from official positions on many issues that once would have seemed beyond discussion. Especially subject to change has been belief in the core Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist. In 1994, a Gallup survey suggested that only a little over a third of Catholics accepted the teaching that bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ at the Eucharist; almost two-thirds said that Christ's presence was merely symbolic...

"With the mass viewed in less supernatural or miraculous terms, the role of the priesthood has declined accordingly... A crisis in traditional Catholic beliefs is indicated by the sharp decline in ordinations to the priesthood, and mass defections among existing priests." (Pg. 57)

He points out, "ACT UP's views and demonstrations received strikingly little condemnation in the mass media, which were generally sympathetic to radical gay claims. Crimes against religious and cultural institutions occur with some frequency in the United States, but the anti-Catholic movement was treated very differently from what are conventionally viewed as hate crimes.

"Remarkably, the mainstream media largely accepted the activists' claim of self-defense against outrageous Catholic policies, or at least felt that the Church attacks were well within the scope of legitimate self-expression. Of course, there were some exceptions... Notably, some gay activists themselves were appalled by the outrageous and explicitly anti-religious content of the movement." (Pg. 102-103)

He concludes, “Anti-Catholic sentiment may simply be too deeply entrenched to eliminate in a decade or a lifetime, but this does not mean that it should simply be ignored. The greatest single achievement might be to acknowledge its existence and to treat it as a form of prejudice quite as pernicious as any other… In the news media especially, it would be wonderful if writers dealing with Catholic themes would examine their work just long enough to see if they were recycling ancient stereotypes, in much the same way they should if writing about Jews, blacks, or other once-despised groups. Otherwise, Catholics will continue to be subjected to a particularly blatant double standard.” (Pg. 215-216)

This book will be of keen interest not just to Catholics, but to students of the mass media, and opponents of sectarian hatred.

[AG Machado · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a modern book on the subject - this isn’t it. However, it’s incredibly interesting to see the history of Anti-Catholicism in America up till 2002. Jenkins deep dives into the history of anti-Catholicism in America, ‘modern’ anti-Catholicism, and the critiques people make of Catholicism that end up being false. It’s super interesting to see that there’s nothing new under the sun. The same arguments we have now have always taken place. He does a great job of just describing how it’s a prejudice that hasn’t really been dealt with here in the US. While the book was published in 2002, it gives a lot of interesting insight. I didn’t agree with some of the points but I think in general it’s a fascinating read. I would love to know Jenkins’ thoughts on the Church and the state of anti-Catholicism in 2025.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was recommended and lent to me by a friend after a conversation we had. This is not my typical type of read and for good reason, being a didn't enjoy it very much.

I felt like there was a lot of good information and a lot of supporting facts that really expanded my knowledge but it was basically a 200+ page term paper. To me that is very dry, painful reading. Overall I'm glad I read it and it is interesting information but I can't say I would recommend it to anyone who isn't particularly a fan of this type of reading.

[Guillaume Dohmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

S first class study and a scholarly work, well documented. It is particularly interesting to me as American acquaintances and relatives always pride themselves on the freedom and tolerance that the US constitution guarantees. However, the average American is as intolerant and prejudiced as people from any other nation. The proof of this is the many wars that have been started over the last 70 years or so.

[Sadie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t waste your time.

[Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be on every Catholic's must-read list.

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's refreshing to finally encounter a work of Church/conservative apology which isn't blatantly reactionary and mean-spirited--more refreshing to find one with a good point to make. Jenkins seems balanced and intelligent in his arguments against what he sees as a new kind of prejudice justified by supposedly "sensitive" left-wing purveyors of anti-prejudice rhetoric, and while this perspective is startling, I can't say it's entirely (or even mostly) untrue.
Jenkins points out what few commentators have: that the language used against Christianity in general (and the Catholic Church in particular) would count as hate speech if used against any other group. More, he doesn't explicitly argue these critiques should be banned or always condemned; he only advocates the "double standard" of critique be replaced with consistent sensitivity (or lack thereof) across the board.
I would quibble with at least a few of Jenkins's arguments, however. For instance, he classes many radical feminist protests of the Church as overblown, and classifies many anti-Catholic feminists as cranks. However, he does not provide an answer for the feminist idea that the Church is misogynistic, or at least patriarchal. The fact that he refutes the charges against Catholicism on other issues such as gay rights but has little evidence against charges of misogyny seems a bit suspect. In addition, while addressing the idea of Church anti-Semitism, he draws a distinction between anti-Semite stereotypes of Jews as a people and anti-Judaic statements against the religion. However, while he applies the same people/religion distinction to his critique of cultural anti-Catholicism, some of his analysis of "anti-Judaic" statements seems perilously close to ideas he would classify as virulently "anti-Catholic" were they applied to the Church.
Regardless of such drawbacks, this is perhaps the best answer from Catholicism to the charges of bigotry against it and the rest of Christianity; a though-provoking read.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book for those who are interested in how Catholics are sometimes mis portrayed in the media. It is amazing in this day and age that when we are fighting so many prejudices in the world that the socially acceptable prejudice is to be anti catholic. There are still religious sects in the world and especially in the United States that still think that the Pope is the anti Christ. I got introduced to this book by my priest when we were having a class on Christianity at church. I had been the butt of anti catholism in the work place just a few years ago. Which was more prevalent in my feelings was shock more than anger due to the fact that it was the 21st century and it was still happening.

Mr. Jenkins explores in virtually every aspect of which there is prejudice against Catholics in our modern society. This is a must read for anyone that thinks that religious intolerance is no longer alive. Anti Catholism is a intolerance that brings religions together

[ltcomdata · Rating 3 out of 5]

The New Anti-Catholicism: Much the same charges, but different people making them. It used to be that the Protestants & American nativists were anti-Catholic. Now it is mostly social liberals who see in the Church everything from bygone eras they want to do away with.

The book shows that anti-Catholicism is very much alive and thriving in America's culture, starting with the secular news media. The book is replete with examples where insults (and even assaults) against the Catholic faith are praised by the mainstream media---while at the same time denouncing with very strong words similar attacks made against other groups and religions.

[The American Conservative]

'Even for someone who believes in the existence of anti-Catholicism before creasing the volume’s spine, its catalogue of outrages and profusion of useful notes make it a valuable resource. Jenkins’s lively style ensures that it is an enjoyable read even when one’s blood is boiling. Most importantly, he succeeds in framing the issue clearly to demonstrate that anti-Catholicism occupies a unique and enduring place as America’s last acceptable prejudice.'

Read the full review, "The New Know-Nothings," on our website:
http://www.theamericanconservative.co...

[Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenkins repeats himself a few times though does a very good job at highlighting the hypocrisy and double standards that exist in quite a few areas. Explains fairly well the origins of anti-Catholic sentiment in America; only briefly touches on the European origins of the problem. I would have liked for him to flesh out his theories regarding the current rise in anti-Catholic sentiment a bit more. Overall a good read.

[Katrinka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard one to rate; Jenkins brings up some excellent points, and draws our attention to insensitive actions which, having become unthinking habit, need to be addressed. In doing so, though, he often seems both to vilify certain groups (feminists and gay rights activists in particular) and to equate contemporary Catholic victimhood with that of people historically (and presently) discriminated against due to race.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you."--(Jesus Christ--Douay-Rheims)

Anti-Catholicism in America is an acceptable form of prejudice that is here to stay and American society does have a double standard when it comes to the Catholicism---neither of these truths are new revelations.

"If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you."--(Jesus Christ. Douay-Rheims)

[[Name Redacted]]

While I do think this is an extremely important topic, i also find it amusing that Jenkins would dub anti-Catholicism "the last acceptable prejudice" given his own remarks about other Christian religious traditions.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, though disturbing.

[A.J. Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent survey of a present day issue.