"The Arms Outstretched That Would Welcome Them": Recovering the Life of Katherine Burton, Forgotten Catholic Woman Writer of the Twentieth Century
Date of Award
5-5-2024
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Theology
Department
Department of Religious Studies
Advisor/Chair
Bill Portier
Abstract
Katherine Burton (1887-1969) is a forgotten, yet prolific US Catholic writer who wrote for average, middle-class, white women in the mid-twentieth century. From her conversion to Catholicism in 1930 to her death in 1969, Katherine wrote a monthly “Woman to Woman” column in The Sign for thirty-six years, over forty-four biographies and histories of Catholic men, women, and religious communities, and countless articles for other Catholic periodicals. Her books, as well as the Catholic periodicals in which her writing regularly appeared, had a large, nationwide readership. Katherine’s words hold significance for religious scholars today seeking to further understand the faith lives of middle-class women in the pews during one of the most turbulent time periods in US history. Examining Katherine’s writing provides scholars with a view into how Catholicism and Catholic womanhood were understood and presented by a laywoman to her mid-twentieth century laywomen audience. Katherine’s writing is also a compelling example of how intricately an author’s personal life is often entwined with their work and how studying the two side by side enriches the narratives they both tell.
Keywords
Katherine Burton, biography, American Catholic, Catholic Women, Catholic Literary Revival, Female Catholic Writers, columnist, The Sign, Catholic Women in World War II, Catholic Feminism, Twentieth Century US Catholicism, biographer
Rights Statement
Copyright 2024, author
Recommended Citation
Huey, Ann, ""The Arms Outstretched That Would Welcome Them": Recovering the Life of Katherine Burton, Forgotten Catholic Woman Writer of the Twentieth Century" (2024). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 7585.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/graduate_theses/7585
