Roman Catholic Beliefs in England
Customary Catholicism and Transformations of Religious Authority

This 1991 book makes available an empirical study of the transformations in religious beliefs that have occurred amongst English Catholics.

Michael P. Hornsby-Smith (Author)

9780521363273, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 March 1991

284 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.9 cm, 0.51 kg

"This book stands alongside Roman Catholics in England as a milestone in the academic study of modern Catholicism. It is required reading for those who hope to understand the religious climate in England during the second half of this century." Choice

This 1991 book makes available an empirical study of the transformations in religious beliefs that have occurred amongst English Catholics. It complements Dr Hornsby-Smith's well received Roman Catholics in England (1987) which provides the social and historical context for this present study. In Roman Catholic beliefs in England, Michael Hornsby-Smith explores Catholic beliefs over a range of concerns from doctrinal matters to questions of personal and social morality and assesses how religious beliefs are differentiated between different types of Catholics. He also examines the legitimacy accorded by English Catholics to both papal authority and religious authority in general.

Preface
Part I. Introduction: 1. From identity to commitment
2. Varieties of Catholic accounts
Part II. The Religious Beliefs of English Catholics: 3. The everyday loves of lay Catholics
4. The religion of core laity
5. The customary religion of ordinary Catholics
Part III. Transformations of Religious Authority: 6. The pope's paradoxical people
7. Core Catholics, conflict and contestation
8. Ordinary Catholics and personal morality
9. English Catholics and religious authority
Part IV. Conclusions: 10. Religious pluralism and secularisation
Appendices
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Religious groups: social & cultural aspects [JFSR]