The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice | |
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Paperback cover Oxford University Press ISBN 0195154800 |
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Author(s) | Philip Jenkins |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Subject(s) | history, religion, Anti-Catholicism/United States |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | April 17, 2003 |
Media type | Hardcover, Paperback |
Pages | 258 pages (1st edition, hardcover) |
ISBN | ISBN 0195154800 (1st edition, hardcover) |
OCLC Number | 50410476 |
Dewey Decimal | 305.6/2073 21 |
LC Classification | BX1770 .J46 2003 |
The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice is a book written by Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History and Religious studies at Pennsylvania State University, dealing with contemporary anti-Catholic bigotry, particularly in the United States.
Jenkins, a former Catholic who converted to the Episcopal Church in 1980,[1] argues that bigotry and hatred toward Catholics is not a thing of the past, but rather is still thriving in the U.S.[2] In Jenkins's view it is a form of bigotry that is ignored or even accepted or encouraged in quarters (mainly politically and culturally liberal ones) that would not tolerate most other forms of bigotry.[2]
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.
Contents |
The Washington Post review called it "A provocative brief on some of the uglier prejudices lurking behind today's Catholic controversies."[3] The National Catholic Register, calling Jenkins "the foremost historian of religious trends today, reviewed the book favorably, noting that the issues are particularly topical today.[4] The Tablet, a British Catholic publication, in its review, while admitting that the book raised important issues, accused Jenkins of lacking a sense of humor.[5] In 2009, the National Review suggested that the author ought to consider publishing an updated version in light of recent incidents of anti-Catholicism.[6] The Baltimore Sun called it "a book of powerfully convincing fairness, of impressive scholarship and of extraordinary courage – Jenkins strips naked some of the most cherished hypocrisies of American ideologues from one extreme of the spectrum to the other."[7]