American Catholicism: The History and the Catholic Church in the U.S. and the Lives of American’s Great Catholics

We highly recommend this course to all history lovers.

Explore the extraordinary history of Catholicism in America from the discovery of the New World to our current age. Your guide, Professor R. Scott Appleby of the University of Notre Dame, is an amazingly erudite teacher and one of the leading historians of American Catholic history.

Through this compelling audio series, you will gain insight into the courage and faith of American Catholics through the ages. Explore stories spanning from the establishment of the Church in America to the growth of the early Christian communities. Follow the waves of Irish, German, Italian, Polish, and other immigrants, and discover how each group made extraordinary contributions to American history. Often seen as outsiders, how did Catholics come to live out their faith publicly and privately?

Professor Appleby analyzes the major Catholic debates and controversies, including the Americanist and Modernist crises and the more recent disputes over the meaning of Vatican II. You'll come to experience the rich texture of parish life during the heyday of "immigrant Catholicism." Encounter towering figures such as Archbishop John Carroll, Cardinal Gibbons, and Dorothy Day.

In short, these 24 talks form an invaluable and fascinating journey through the triumphs, burdens, achievements, and continuing struggles of the Catholic Church on American shores. Don't miss this series.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.