The Making of American Catholicism

This well-researched book offers a compelling argument for the importance of regional, transnational, and local realities in understanding the history of U.S. Catholicism. ~Steven M. Avella, Marquette University

An insightfully transnational study that assesses how factors such as the colonial legacies of French and Hispanic Catholic settlers, the homelands of European immigrants, and the international cult of Marian apparitions shaped Catholic communities that rooted themselves in particular times and places. ~Timothy Matovina, author of Theologies of Guadalupe: From the Era of Conquest to Pope Francis

Pfeifer’s work shifts the focus from the traditional centers of the Northeast and industrial urban Midwest to places like New Orleans, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Los Angeles. In the process, Catholics of different ethnicities, race, and transnational ties assume new significance. Even New York's Hell Kitchen Catholicism gains fresh treatment in Pfeifer's rendering. An important book that advances the most exciting contemporary currents in the study of Catholics in the US. ~Anthony B. Smith, The University of Dayton

From New Orleans to Iowa City and from rural Wisconsin to urban California, Michael Pfeifer asks us to think about the local particularities of the American Catholic experience. He shows us how the development of regional cultures played a crucial role in shaping the lives of Catholics from the colonial period to the present. ~Michael Pasquier, author of Religion in America: The Basics

A timely and important book. Pfeifer is an excellent, evocative writer, providing us with a treasure trove of fascinating details of twentieth century lived Catholicism, all the while showing the dynamic blend of transnationalism, regionalism, and nationalism that informs American Catholic identities. A must-read for anyone interested in American religious history. ~Kristy Nabhan-Warren, The University of Iowa

Michael J. Pfeifer’s The Making of American Catholicism: Regional Culture and the Catholic Experience is a fascinating exploration of the intersection of place, culture, time, and identity. In date- and place-bound situations, he surveys themes of contemporary concern (globally, but especially in the United States). Pfeifer’s skill in making connections across seemingly disparate places and events prompts the reader to extend the insights beyond the representative areas specifically addressed in the book. ~Reading Religion

Lucidly written Pfeifer’s book will be a valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers in religion, politics, and the sociology of the Catholic church in the United States. ~Christopher J. Akor, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Religion Book Reviews

Pfeifer has presented a fresh approach by employing a regionalist lens to understand the diversity of experiences within American Catholicism. ~Religious Studies Review

The book succeeds in highlighting the shared but distinct regional and transnational experiences of Catholic communities in the United States. It also succeeds in balancing top-down and bottom-up approaches for an engaging, accessible narrative...Pfeifer’s work helps us better understand more neatly the relationship between religion regionalism, ethnicity, and race in US Catholic history. ~Journal of American Ethnic History