Bread of the Strong

Lee Downey Jack

Description

Contributing to the ongoing excavation of the spiritual lifeworld of Dorothy Day-"the most significant, interesting, and influential person in the history of American Catholicism"-The Bread of the Strong offers compelling new insight into the history of the Catholic Worker movement, including the cross-pollination between American and Quebecois Catholicism and discourse about Christian antimodernism and radicalism.The considerable perseverance in the heroic Christian maximalism that became the hallmark of the Catholic Worker's personalism owes a great debt to the influence of Lacouturisme, largely under the stewardship of John Hugo, along with Peter Maurin and myriad other critical interventions in Day's spiritual development. Day made the retreat regularly for some thirty-five years and promoted it vigorously both in person and publicly in the pages of The Catholic Worker.Exploring the influence of the controversial North American revivalist movement on the spiritual formation of Dorothy Day, author Jack Lee Downey investigates the extremist intersection between Roman Catholic contemplative tradition and modern political radicalism. Well grounded in an abundance of lesser-known primary sources, including unpublished letters, retreat notes, privately published and long-out-of-print archival material, and the French-language papers of Fr. Lacouture, The Bread of the Strong opens up an entirely new arena of scholarship on the transnational lineages of American Catholic social justice activism. Downey also reveals riveting new insights into the movement's founder and namesake, Quebecois Jesuit Onesime Lacouture. Downey also frames a more reciprocal depiction of Day and Hugo's relationship and influence, including the importance of Day's evangelical pacifism on Hugo, particularly in shaping his understanding of conscientious objection and Christian antiwar work, and how Hugo's ascetical theology animated Day's interior life and spiritually sustained her apostolate.A fascinating investigation into the retreat movement Day loved so dearly, and which she claimed was integral to her spiritual formation, The Bread of the Strong explores the relationship between contemplative theology, asceticism, and radical activism. More than a study of Lacouture, Hugo, and Day, this fresh look at Dorothy Day and the complexities and challenges of her spiritual and social expression presents an outward exploration of the early- to mid-twentieth century dilemmas facing second- and third-generation American Catholics.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Political science of religion
• Catholic Church
• Ideology

Informations

• Publié par: Fordham University Press
• Date de parution: 01 juin 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780823265459
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The Bread o the Strong

catholic practice in north america

se r i e s co e di t or s: Angea Aaîmo O’Donne, Assocîate Dîrector o the Francîs and Ann Curran Center or Amerîcan Cathoîc Studîes, Fordham Unîversîty John C. Seîtz, Assîstant Proessor, Theoogy Department, Fordham Unîversîty

Thîs serîes aîms to contrîbute to the growîng fied o Cathoîc studîes through the pubîcatîon o books devoted to the hîstorîca and cutura study o Cathoîc practîce în North Amerîca, rom the coonîa perîod to the present. As the term “practîce” suggests, the serîes sprîngs rom a pressîng need în the study o Amerîcan Cathoîcîsm or empîrîca învestîgatîons and creatîve exporatîons and anayses o the contours o Cathoîc experîence. In seekîng to provîde more comprehensîve maps o Cathoîc practîce, thîs serîes îs commîtted to pubîshîng works rom dîverse Amerîcan ocaes, încudîng urban, suburban, and rura settîngs; ethnîc, post-ethnîc, and transnatîona contexts; prîvate and pubîc sîtes; and seats o power as we as the margîns.

se r i e s a d v i s ory b oa r d: Emma Anderson, Unîversîty o Ottawa Pau Contîno, Pepperdîne Unîversîty Katheen Sprows Cummîngs, Unîversîty o Notre Dame James T. Fîsher, Fordham Unîversîty Pau Marîanî, Boston Coege Thomas A. Tweed, Unîversîty o Texas at Austîn

The Bread o the Strong l a co u t ur ismef o l lyt he  a nd o f t he c r o s s , 1910 –19 85

Jack Lee Downey

f or dh a m u n i v e r s i t y p r e s s New York 2015

Copyrîght © 2015 Fordham Unîversîty Press

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Lîbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Downey, Jack Lee.  The bread o the strong : Lacouturîsme and the oy o the Cross, 1910–1985 / Jack Lee Downey. —Fîrst edîtîon.  pages cm —(Cathoîc practîce în North Amerîca)  Incudes bîbîographîca reerences and îndex.  ISBN 978-0-8232-6543-5 (hardback)  1. Pacîfism—Reîgîous aspects—Cathoîc Church—Hîstory—20th century. 2. Cathoîc Worker Movement. 3. Day, Dorothy, 1897–1980. 4. Cathoîc Church—Unîted States—Hîstory—20th century. 5. Unîted States—Church hîstory—20th century. 6. Lacouture, Onésîme, 1881–1951—Influence. 7. Hugo, John, 1911–1985—Influence. 8. Cathoîc Church—Québec (Provînce)— Hîstory—20th century. I. Tîte.  BX1407.P24D69 2015  267'.182—dc23 2015002944

Prînted în the Unîted States o Amerîca

17 16 15

Fîrst edîtîon

5 4 3 2 1

or Mom & Dad

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Contents

Acknowledgments

 Introductîon: Conversîon and Cathoîc Pacîfism  1CanadienIdentîty, Natîonaîsm, and Muscuar Cathoîcîsm  2 Onésîme Lacouture and Conversîon în the Whîte Desert  3 Onésîme Lacouture and the “Return to the Gospe”  4 Mackere Snappers în the US Industrîa Era  5 John Hugo and the Retreat’s Southward Mîgratîon  6 Dorothy Day, Antî-trîumphaîsm, and a Personaîst Approach to Vountary Poverty  Epîogue: To Alîct the Comortabe and Comort the Alîcted: Cathoîc Worker Pacîfism as a Form-o-Lîe

Notes Bibliography Index

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1 20 53 80 117 139

169

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Acknowedgments

Whenever I thînk about questîons o method and schoarshîp—whîch, honesty, îs not încredîby oten—I am remînded o a paraphrase o the great Amerîcan Cathoîc hîstorîan John Tracy Eîs that Tom Sheey, another great Amerîcan Cathoîc hîstorîan, recounted durîng a graduate semînar some years back: “You can’t be a good hîstorîan uness you îke readîng dead peope’s maî.” I have been very ucky to have a consteatîon o resources and support aîgn to aow me the space to do the archîva research and anaysîs that ormed the backbone o thîs project, and whîch has brought me great joy, aong wîth no sma amount o anxîety, durîng the past ew years. And I am happy to have the opportunîty to (brîefly) express my gratîtude. Prîde o pace easîy goes to my parents, whom I ove very deary. O a the undeserved prîvîeges I have experîenced by vîrtue o havîng been born theîr chîd, I thînk the greatest has been a kînd o presumptîon o genetîc mora întegrîty by those who know them—that I woud be good because they are good. And athough I have done my best to obîterate thîs preconceptîon over the years, I have receîved the benefit o the doubt many more tîmes than I have earned. I have been very ucky to have basked în the gow o some brîîant and kînd sous. To a my teachers, thank you. I am most prooundy grateu to Jetsunma Tenzîn Pamo or carîng or me and personîyîng compas- sîonate wîsdom. My mentor James T. Fîsher has been a wonderu guîde and rîend—aong wîth the rest o hîs can, Krîstîna Chew and Charîe. I am very grateu to Robert Orsî or havîng payed matchmaker between me and Jîm and or beîng another great teacher. Aong wîth Jîm, Mark Massa, SJ, and the încomparabe Marîa Terzuî gave me a wecomîng home at Fordham Unîversîty’s Curran Center or Amerîcan Cathoîc Studîes. There îs a îtany o peope who made my experîence at Fordham remarkabe, but în a partîcuar way Reg Kîm, Mara Brecht, Catherîne