The Rev. Thomas Beecher, a nineteenth-century Protestant minister in Elmira, New York, publicly advocated billiards, dancing, and card playing despite the outrage of his critics. (JMF)

In the 19th century, ministers would teach reading to prisoners on Sunday evenings, so-called sabbath schools. Expansion of these efforts into other subjects led to correctional education. Inadequate resources and facilities and resistance from administrators and prisoners parallel the struggles of today's correctional educators. (SK)

The history of the Catholic Church and its schools in the United States is primarily a history of bishops' and priests' actions. Chapter 1 describes this history in terms of Catholic schools: (1) prior to the Constitutional convention; (2) during controversial periods from 1885-1917; (3) in U.S. society from 1918-1964; and (4) relationships to…

John Brown's death did not cause the Civil War; it precipitated the conflict. Many ministers anticipated the war and hurried its outbreak by canonizing a fanatic. By 1859, the abolitionists needed a martyr to infuse new emotion into their cause and seized upon John Brown to fill this role. (Author/GC)

Describes the life and work of Father James J. Tompkins, a Canadian Catholic priest who preached "think, study, act"--social vision proceeding to group enlightenment leading to social action. (SK)

Assesses the strengths and weaknesses of university study licenses such as the "Licet canon" and the "Cum ex eo" which, when issued by the Vatican in the 13th century, allowed unordained parochial rectors and ordained priests to obtain higher education. Concludes that study licenses improved the education of the parochial…

A critical analysis of the quadrennial ministry studies within Methodism over the years is presented. The 1944 and 1948 ministry studies were sociological and demographic. A 1952 study was the first try by the Methodist Church to work on definitions and theological understanding of the ministry. In 1960, there was a study of ministry and a…

Argues that changes in the form and frequency of preaching in England between 1534 and 1559 were as much the result of political and ecclesiastical struggles as they were of formal developments in rhetorical or homiletical theory. (JMF)

This biographical sketch of Barton Warren Stone, an early American advocate of the Restoration Movement, describes and interprets some of the innate and environmental factors that must have been to a large measure responsible for his leadership of what has been called the largest indigenous American religious movement. It details some of the…

This is an examination of how Catholics adapted to the United States and how American culture affected Catholicism during the twentieth century based on an investigation of major developments in Catholic higher education since World War I with emphasis on colleges and universities conducted by the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. The opening chapter…

Describes the career of a man who was born a slave, became the first Black chaplain in the United States Army, and founded the first all-Black city in the United States, Allensworth (California). Emphasizes his belief in the importance of education. (FMW)

Formulations of the Hispanic Pastoral Encounter include a call for the respect of Hispanic culture in Catholic parishes and a priority for recruiting and ordaining Spanish-speaking clergy. These requests parallel those presented on behalf of German immigrants 100 years ago. They must be considered and accepted. (VM)

The latter part of the twentieth century has brought explicit emotional appeals; some by advertisers for commercial goods and others from political and religious leaders. The religious appeals to feelings can be traced back in history to the revivals in the mid-eighteenth century where the "Great Awakening" opened up religious…

Examines the symbolic content of eulogies delivered by Southern clergymen following the 1870 death of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Explores the clergy's discussions of Lee's immortality and the redemptive power of audience unity which were foundations for later mythic discourse on the general's life. (SG)

Contrary to common wisdom, the authorities of Colonial Mexico (1521-1600) were vitally concerned with the teaching of reading to the indigenous people. Alphabetic literacy was introduced in Mexico with the coming of the Franciscan friars, who brought with them many innovations and heartily set about the task of education. Some of the friars'…