(Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000)

In his extended essay, The Catholic Imagination, Andrew Greeley seeks to explain how images, rituals and stories central to the Catholic experience influence and shape the imagination, and consequently, the behavior of Catholics. Acknowledging the contribution of David Tracy's work to his insights, Greeley asserts that the Catholic imagination places emphasis on the presence of God in the world (God's "immanence"), while Protestants tend to emphasize the separateness of God from the world (God's transcendence). This is not to suggest that one approach is better than the other, it merely asserts that these different emphases may account for some of the observed cultural differences in groups that share fundamental beliefs. These differences can be observed by considering various elements unique to Catholic culture, such as sacraments, architecture, ritual, hierarchy, and "the mother love of God," as Greeley terms the Catholic devotion to Mary. The impact of this expressed culture on the behavior of Catholics has been explored by Greeley for the past decade or so, and he presents many of his conclusions throughout the book.

The introduction is essential to understanding the context of this work. It describes in detail the development of the Catholic predisposition to see all of creation as a metaphor of God, which differs from the Protestant tendency to be "dialectical." Each of the seven chapters opens with a narrative explanation of a central cultural theme, often citing how the work of artists and authors illustrates and exemplifies the theme. These opening narratives structure the various hypotheses that are examined by Greeley's survey research. For example, after constructing a detailed descriptive image of several Catholic churches and the artwork within, Greeley poses the hypothesis that Catholic Church attendance influences "the consumption of fine arts." His survey data suggests that Catholics attend more fine arts events than Protestants, and that there is a correlation between graceful images of religious themes and interest in the fine arts. This approach is used to examine such topics as sacred desire, community, and hierarchy.

The chapter entitled "The Mother Love of God" offers a cogent and sensitive explanation of the Catholic devotion to Mary. Greeley's treatment of hierarchy is refreshingly free of pejorative language while providing an entertaining exploration of how the average Catholic might view leadership in the Church. Perhaps the most controversial material is found in the chapter on "sacred desire." From my perspective as a married lay Catholic, I find Greeley's comments here to be the least believable, albeit very entertaining.

Although the conclusions presented in the book are thought provoking, I find the lengthy explanations of the his survey structure and methods somewhat tedious, since the essay is not intended to be read as a piece of research. The true strength of this book is its ability to illustrate how the common cultural heritage of everyday Catholicism forms a seamless and mostly unconscious web of influence over the preferences and interpretations of everyday life for Catholics, creating subtle differences of perspective from Protestant sensibilities. For the Catholic reader, it motivates a more reflective awareness of how our religion has shaped our worldview, and provides an opportunity to consider the enchanted aspects of the faith -- to ponder what is warm, familiar, comfortable and good about being Catholic. For the Protestant reader, it offers a unique opportunity to come to a more nuanced understanding of why and how Catholics are different, even though we share a rich Christian heritage and faith. Another strength of Greeley's work is that it is written in common language, almost (but not entirely) devoid of Latin phrases and Catholic jargon. The book does not present statements of Catholic doctrine, nor does it attempt to present the essential truths of Catholic belief. Rather, it describes and illustrates how the Catholic and Protestant ways of seeing and being in the world are different, and allows for an exploration of how each form of Christian imagination needs and contributes to the other. It is an excellent starting point for some thoughtful dialog in the exploration of how the Catholic and Protestant traditions interact. -- Jayne Byrne, '97