Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 2016

Publication Source

American Catholic Studies

Abstract

The 1955 publication of John Tracy Ellis's article "American Catholics and the Intellectual Life" sparked new discussion among historians about the role of intellectualism in the lives of American Catholics. This article examines the intellectual habits of American parish priests in the early and mid-twentieth century by studying the working library of Monsignor Bernard J. Beckmeyer of Dayton, Ohio. The contents of his library support Ellis's assertion that parish priests usually concentrated on the administration of their parishes, and not on scholarship and intellectualism. This focus was likely due to several factors, including the lackluster quality of seminary education of the time, which promoted Neo-Scholastic philosophy to the exclusion of new intellectual ideas; the demands of administering a parish; and the lack of continuing education opportunities for priests prior to the Second Vatican Council.

Inclusive pages

35-56

Document Version

Published Version

Comments

This article was originally published in American Catholic Studies, Fall 2016, and is reprinted with permission.

Publisher

American Catholic Historical Society

Volume

127

Issue

3

Peer Reviewed

yes

Download
Link to published version

Share

COinS