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This book, the third volume in the groundbreaking study The Notre Dame History of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S ., continues the historical investigation of the first two volumes, spanning the years 1965 to the present. Unlike the two preceding volumes, whose articles are arranged in terms of national origin (Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican), the 11 essays in Hispanic Catholic Culture in the U.S . are organized according to key issues that cut across nationalities, regions, and generations.

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CHOICE Review

Through the pioneering work of Julian Samora, University of Notre Dame Press has become one of the major publishers of works on Latinos in the US. The series of which these three books are part represents recognition of the growing importance of the Spanish-speaking population to the Catholic Church as an institution. At first glance, the research cutoff date of date of 1965 seems to be a limitation, especially considering the dramatic increase in population of Latinos generally and Chicanos in particular that has occurred since then. However, the contents of volume 3--subtitled Issues and Concerns--in part address this gap. The series editors also recognize that like Asian Americans, Latinos are too diverse a group to lump together. The first volume, on Mexican Americans, takes cognizance of the fact that Mexican Americans alone constitute some 16 million of the 24 million Latinos in the US. Although highly instructive, the essays that make up this volume are uncritical. The introduction states that the loyalty of many Mexican Americans is torn by competition from other churches, forces within US society, and the poverty of Mexicans: "In these circumstances the age-old faith communities are being tested more severely than ever before and the institutional Church faces a daunting challenge." This statement appears to set the tone for this and the next volume, in which contributors eschew a critical examination of the Church's role in the Spanish colonization--and later Irish colonization--of Mexican and African American culture. Indeed, alienation goes beyond cultural expression to include class differences between those who control the church and those who attend mass. Volume 1 is divided into three sections: a long historical overview of Mexicans and the church that focuses on Mexican Americans in Texas, in California, and in the Midwest. Despite the uncritical nature of the work, which sometimes borders on being apologetic, it is important because it lays out the major actors in this history. Volume 2 makes clear that although Cubans and Puerto Ricans share some history as a result of the Spanish-American War, as well as a common language and island heritage, they are often diverse racially and economically. In a perceptive introductory article, Jaime R. Vidal makes the point that Puerto Ricans differ from Mexicans and other Latin Americans in that the Spanish colonists brought Catholicism with them, whereas in the case of Mexicans, the Indian populations were evangelized. These island cultures were dominated by criollos, Spaniards born in the New World, who later incorporated cultural elements from African slaves. Much of Vidal's discussion concerns New York. The weakest section of the first two volumes by far is that on Cubans in the US. The treatment could have been much fuller; although there are only a million Cuban Americans, they enjoy an influence well beyond their numbers. The narrative never gives the reader a feeling for a Cuban center equal to that of, for example, New York for Puerto Ricans or Los Angeles and San Antonio for Mexicans. Essays in volume 3, on cultural issues, are solid, with a leadoff article by Joan Moore, an eminent lay scholar. Generally, the articles in this volume are superior to those in the first two. Edmundo Rodriguez's treatment of historical movements such as the Cursillo de Cristiandad, the charismatic renewal, and societies of priests and nuns such as PADRES and HERMANAS is invaluable. The entire series is recommended, although this reviewer suggests that volume 3 be read first. Each volume has an index and solid endnotes. All levels. R. Acu^D na California State University, Northridge

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Jay P. Dolan is professor emeritus of history at the University of Notre Dame, where he founded the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism in 1975 and was the director of the Center until 1993. He is the author of, among other books, In Search of American Catholicism (2002) and The American Catholic Experience: A History from Colonial Times to the Present (Notre Dame Press edition, 1992).

Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck is a Distinguished Scholar in Pastoral Theology and Latino Studies and holds a dual appointment as Lecturer in the Departments of Theological Studies and Chicano/Latino/a Studies at Loyola Marymount University. In January 2008 Deck was named the first executive director of the Office for Cultural Diversity in the Church in the newly reorganized United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). He is author of The Second Wave: Hispanic Ministry and the Evangelization of Cultures.