This analytic survey and evaluation renders an account of Ong's contributions to cultural studies. Chapter 1 serves as a prologue to the study and the initial discussion of the import of Ong's work is set forth. Chapter 2 presents background information about Ong's life and work and both Chapters 1 and 2 contain definitions of issues and terms. In Chapters 3 through to 8 Ong's most significant scholarly books and collections of essays are surveyed: Chapter 3 is devoted to delineating Ong's account of Ramus and Ramism; Chapter 4 surveys his early writing on religious topics; Chapter 5 looks at Ong as the intellectual-at-large; Chapter 6 covers ""The Presence of the Word""; Chapter 7 takes up his literacy and communication studies; and Chapter 8 discusses his two culminating psychological studies of the 1980s - ""Fighting for Life"" and ""Hopkins, the Self and God"". Chapter 9 concludes the study with an assessment of Ong's work.
Part 1 Prologue: Introduction; The Scale and Character of His Work; The Import of Ong's Work. Part 2 Ong's Life and His Work: Introduction; Ong's Family Background; Ong's Education; Ong's Professional Life. Part 3 Ong Studies Peter Ramus and Ramism: Introduction; Survey of Ramus, Method and the Decay of Dialogue; Paired Oppositions; Conclusion. Part 4 Ong the Religious Commentator: Introduction; Survey of Frontiers in American Catholicism; Survey of American Catholic Crossroads; Discussion; Ong's Own Religious Stance; Conclusion. Part 5 Ong the Intellectual at Large: Introduction; Survey of the Barbarian Within; Survey of ""In the Human Grain""; Discussion; Conclusion. Part 6 Ong the Cultural Relativist: Introduction; Survey of ""The Presence of the Word""; Discussion; The Import of Ong's Work. Part 7 Ong's Literary and Communication Studies: Introduction; Survey of Rhetoric, Romance and Technology; Survey of Interfaces of the Word; Survey of Orality and Literacy; Discussion; Conclusion. Part 8 Ong's Two Culminating Psychological Studies: Introduction; Survey of ""Fighting for Life""; Discussion of ""Fighting for Life""; Survey of ""Hopkins, the Self and God""; Discussion. Part 9 A Concluding Assessment: Ong's Account of Cultural and Religious History; Teaching and Learning From Deep Thinkers.
