The Coup at Catholic University : the 1968 revolution in American Catholic education / Peter M. Mitchell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mitchell, Peter, 1974-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Catholic University of America--History--20th century.

Catholic University of America.

Catholic Church--Education--History--20th century.

Catholic Church.

Catholic universities and colleges--United States--History--20th century.

Catholic universities and colleges.

Academic freedom--United States--History--20th century.

Academic freedom.

History.

Education.

United States.

Physical Description:

311 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

San Francisco : Ignatius Press, [2015].

Summary:

The Year 1968 witnessed perhaps the greatest revolution in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Led by Fr. Charles Curran, a theology professor at the Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., more than five hundred theologians from across the country signed a "Statement of Dissent" declaring that Catholics may reject the Church's prohibition of artificial birth control, a teaching that had been reaffirmed by Pope Paul VT's encyclical Humanae Vitae. The revolution began when CAU did not renew the teaching contract of Fr. Curran, a move that caused student and faculty protest on campus. The controversy spilled onto the pages of the nation's major daily newspapers, carrying with it question about academic freedom, ecclesiastical authority, and the purpose of a modern Catholic university. The author uses never-before published correspondence between the key players at CUA, including the bishop-trustees John Krol of Philadelphia, Patrick O'Boyle of Washington, and James McIntyre of Los Angeles. He also quotes from personal interview with Charles Curran. This work suggests that the revolution of the 1960s resulted from excessive legalism and authoritarianism that marked the Church in the 1950s, the years preceding the Second Vatican Council. It challenges those who would idealize either cultural moment to rethink their understanding of the historical reality of the Catholic Chruch in the United States during the mid-twentieth century. Because the revolution of 1968 continues to define the experience of many American Catholics and affect Catholic education, this book contributes to an understanding of the present situation of the Catholic Church in America. Book jacket.

Contents:

I The Curran Affair

1 The Catholic University Strike: April 17-24, 1967 25

2 The Role of the Media in Public Perception of the Strike 57

3 The Influence of the AAUP on Catholic Higher Education 69

II The School of Theology Takes Control of CUA

4 After the Strike: The Embers Smolder 95

5 Institutional Developments at CUA: 1967-1968 111

6 The Campaign to Remove Dean Kevane 127

III The Triumph of Dissent

7 Cardinal O'Boyle Meets with the Dissenting Professors: August 20, 1968 151

8 The Board of Trustees Meeting: September 5, 1968 173

9 The Faculty Board of Inquiry: September 1968-April 1969 183

10 The Response of the CUA Board of Trustees to the Report of the Board of Inquiry: April-June 1969 203

11 The Controversy over the Deanship of the School of Theology: July-August 1969 217

12 The Board of Trustees Capitulates: September - November 1969 227.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-301) and index.

ISBN:

1586177567

9781586177560

OCLC:

883645342