The Catholic Puzzle: Parishes and Civic Life

54 Pages Posted: 8 Jun 2005

See all articles by Mary Jo Bane

Mary Jo Bane

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Date Written: May 2005

Abstract

This paper is one of a number of case studies prepared for an interdisciplinary seminar on religion in American civic life which examined the roles and functions of religion in congregations and communities. "The Catholic Puzzle" is the apparent discrepancy between the Catholic church's official social teachings and what actually goes on in Catholic parishes and the everyday lives of Catholics. This paper combines theology and social science to examine the question of why Catholics seem to be less involved than members of other religions in volunteer and civic life.

Keywords: Nonprofit Sector, Welfare / Health Care/ Social Policy

Suggested Citation

Bane, Mary Jo, The Catholic Puzzle: Parishes and Civic Life (May 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=739717 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.739717

Mary Jo Bane (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-496-9703 (Phone)

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
236
Abstract Views
2,694
Rank
271,093
PlumX Metrics