Author Description
The National Shrine In Washington, Dc Has Been Deeply Loved, Blithely Ignored, And Passionately Criticized. It Has Been Praised As A Dazzling Jewel And Dismissed As A Towering Byzantine Beach Ball. In This Intriguing And Inventive Book, Thomas Tweed Shows That The Shrine Is Also An Illuminating Site From Which To Tell The Story Of Twentieth-century Catholicism. He Organizes His Narrative Around Six Themes That Characterize U.s. Catholicism, And He Ties These Themes To The Shrine's Material Culture--to Images, Artifacts, Or Devotional Spaces. Thus He Begins With The Basilica's Foundation Stone, Weaving It Into A Discussion Of Brick And Mortar Catholicism, The Drive To Build Institutions. To Highlight The Church's Inclination To Appeal To Women, He Looks At Fund-raising For The Mary Memorial Altar, And He Focuses On The Filipino Oratory To Our Lady Of Antipolo To Illustrate The Church's Outreach To Immigrants. Throughout, He Employs Painstaking Detective Work To Shine A Light On The Many Facets Of American Catholicism Reflected In The Shrine.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How does the physical architecture and material culture of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception reflect the broader evolution of twentieth-century American Catholicism? Thomas A. Tweed, a scholar of religion, utilizes the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., as a primary site of inquiry to map the complex identity of the U.S. Catholic Church. By analyzing specific artifacts, devotional spaces, and construction history, Tweed argues that the physical structure serves as a microcosm for the institutional, social, and cultural shifts within the faith over the last century.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- An analysis of the Basilica's foundation stone as a symbol of institutional growth and the 'brick and mortar' era of American Catholicism.
- Examination of gender dynamics through the lens of fundraising efforts for the Mary Memorial Altar.
- Investigation of immigrant outreach and cultural integration via the Filipino Oratory to Our Lady of Antipolo.
- A thematic framework connecting material culture to six distinct characteristics of U.S. Catholic history.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and historians frequently praise this work for its innovative methodology in using material culture to interpret religious history. Readers often note that the text provides a accessible yet rigorous examination of how physical spaces shape and reflect the identity of a religious community.
Page Count:
448
Publication Date:
2011-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10:
0199783012
ISBN-13:
9780199783014
Architecture
Religion
History
American Studies
Church History
Washington DC
Catholicism
Community Tags
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