Protestant--Catholic--Jew: An Essay in American Religious Sociology

by Will Herberg

"The most honored discussion of American religion in mid-twentieth century times is Will Herberg's Protestant-Catholic-Jew . . . . [It] spoke precisely to the mid-century condition and speaks in still applicable ways to the American condition and, at its best, the human condition."—Martin E. Marty, from the Introduction

"In Protestant-Catholic-Jew Will Herberg has written the most fascinating essay on the religious sociology of America that has appeared in decades. He has digested all the relevant historical, sociological and other analytical studies, but the product is no mere summary of previous findings. He has made these findings the basis of a new and creative approach to the American scene. It throws as much light on American society as a whole as it does on the peculiarly religious aspects of American life. Mr. Herberg. . . illumines many facets of the American reality, and each chapter presents surprising, and yet very compelling, theses about the religious life of this country. Of all these perhaps the most telling is his thesis that America is not so much a melting pot as three fairly separate melting pots."—Reinhold Niebuhr, New Yorks Times Book Review

Genres: Sociology, Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, History, American History, Judaism

326 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1955

About the author

American Jewish writer, intellectual and scholar. A communist political activist during his early years, Herberg gained wider public recognition as a social philosopher and sociologist of religion, as well as a Jewish theologian. He was a leading conservative thinker during 1950s and an important contributor to the National Review magazine.

Reviews

[Joshua Stein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Herberg presents an interesting look at American religious sociology in the late fifties, and it's well worth the read if that's your area of interest. Some of his claims (like the absence of a successor to Clarence Darrow) are less than justified, and he has a semi-masturbatory tone when discussing the religious revival in the United States.

He's far from objective, and that bothers me, given that he's supposed to be a sociologist. Still, its a worthwhile read, just keep in mind that there's definitely an agenda present.

[Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book can be of use to someone interested in looking at immigration through the lens of religion over several generations. That said, Herberg's book as a whole rests far too many of its conclusions on unsubstantiated claims, farfetched assumptions, and contradictory evidence.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sociological analysis of religion in American from colonial times up to the 1950s, when this was written. Very interesting stuff (to me).

[Jonathan Morey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herberg's observations of the societal dynamics of the early 20th century can be applied to modern day immigration. A unique perspective on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation immigrants.

[Katharine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read for Sociology of Religion Course
extremely dense

[Miriam Borenstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Protestant, Catholic, Jew is a study of religion and acculturation in the United States after the mass migration of the nineteenth century. Will Herberg attempts to examine the triple melting pot theory proposed by RJR Kennedy in 1944 with a complex question: Why is America both secular and the most religion modern nation? He examines the nature of religion in America, as well as the arrival and subsequent acculturation of each religious group.
It is in the three devoted chapters to each religion that Herberg practices more traditional history, he approached the rest sociologically, primarily making assumption based on some data and a fair amount of subjective analysis. The real contribution of the work is what it highlights, even if it does not provide enough evidence to support all of his explanations and projections. Protestant, Catholic, Jew highlights a very important fact of American immigration in the century preceding its publication. America prescribes religion to its new arrivals and residents-it just doesn’t care which one is chosen. The shared religion which unifies these groups is what Herberg term, The American Way of Life. He defines this as the American religion (public), as opposed to the individually chosen or self-subscribed religions in America (private).
The later chapters are interesting but outdated, as are the revelations they might have contained. Comparing and contrasting these groups gave no real answers to the question of why America was steadfastly in favor of religion for religion’s sake. He discussed the need for acculturated third generation immigrants to find meaning and belonging in their new home, but his explanation that America was founded on principals of religious freedom does not a smoking gun make.