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A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Satisfaction of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO PUBLIC CATHOLICISM AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN AMERICA: THE ADAPTATION OF A RELIGIOUS CULTURE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF DIVERSITY, AND ITS IMPLICATIONS A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology by Michael J. Agliardo, SJ Committee in charge: Professor Richard Madsen, Chair Professor John H. Evans Professor David Pellow Professor Joel Robbins Professor Gershon Shafir 2008 Copyright Michael J. Agliardo, SJ, 2008 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Michael Joseph Agliardo is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2008 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents......................................................................................................................iv List Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................................vi List of Graphs ......................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................. viii Vita.............................................................................................................................................x Abstract.....................................................................................................................................xi Chapter I. Internally Grounded Pluralism: An Innovation in Religious Culture .......................1 A. Environmentalism, a Locus of Religious Pluralism .......................................................1 B. Religious Pluralism—From a Religious Perspective....................................................14 C. Overview ......................................................................................................................28 D. Method and Approach ..................................................................................................36 E. Clarification and Limitations ........................................................................................45 F. Assumptions and Definitions ........................................................................................49 Chapter II. Religious Diversity and Public Religion in the Social Sciences ...........................71 A. Religious Diversity in Classical Sociological Theory..................................................71 B. Religious Diversity and the American Experience.......................................................86 C. Theories of Civil Society and Proper Role of Religion in Public Life .......................101 D. Public Religion: The Popular Debate .........................................................................121 Chapter III. Religious Pluralism: Unpacking a Complex Notion ..........................................135 A. Prefatory Remarks......................................................................................................135 B. The Eclipse of Pluralism in Recent Sociological Theory ...........................................137 C. The Meaning of Pluralism: Some Soundings .............................................................143 D. Retrieving Religious Pluralism in an Age of Diversity..............................................147 E. Pluralism in Theology: How Religious Groups Make Sense of Diversity .................166 Chapter IV. Religious Diversity and a New Social Experiment............................................177 A. Religious Diversity and the British Colonies .............................................................177 B. Cross-cutting Trends...................................................................................................197 C. The American Experiment: E Pluribus Unum............................................................206 Chapter V. Changing Structure of Religious Accommodation in U.S. History ....................225 A. Prefatory Remarks......................................................................................................225 B. An Immigrant Church in the Evangelical Century .....................................................227 C. Modernism, Fundamentalism, and Public Legitimacy ...............................................256 D. Behind the Mid-Twentieth-Century Synthesis: Protestant, Catholic, Jew .................276 iv Chapter VI. Religious Pluralism and Public Catholicism in America...................................307 A. Prefatory Remarks......................................................................................................307 B. The Bishops' Program and the Pastoral Letter of 1919 ..............................................313 C. Public Catholicism in America Prior to Vatican II.....................................................331 D. A Church in Transition: John Courtney Murray and Vatican II.................................341 E. Public Catholicism in America After Vatican II.........................................................363 Chapter VII. Pluralism and Public Faith: The Columbia River Pastoral Letter Project ........386 A. Prefatory Remarks......................................................................................................386 B. American Catholicism and the Rise of Religious Environmentalism.........................387 C. Pluralism in Contemporary Catholic Culture .............................................................410 D. The Columbia River Pastoral Letter Project...............................................................421 E. Pluralism and Public Faith: Catholic Environmentalism in Dialogue ........................443 Chapter VIII. Concluding Remarks .......................................................................................454 A. Pluralism in Public Catholicism .................................................................................454 B. Internally Grounded Pluralism and Civil Society.......................................................463 C. Internally Grounded Pluralism and the Sociology of Religion...................................467 Appendix I: Terms Used in This Study .................................................................................470 Appendix II: Websites of Relevant Institutions.....................................................................473 Appendix III: Participants in the Columbia River Pastoral Letter Project.............................475 References..............................................................................................................................477 v LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS COEJL Coalition On the Environment and Jewish Life CRPLP Columbia River Pastoral Letter Project CTSA Catholic Theological Society of America EEN Evangelical Environmental Network EJP Environmental Justice Program (of the USCC / USCCB) ICES Interfaith Council for Environmental Stewardship IEEN International Evangelical Environmental Network NCC National Council of Churches NCCB National Conference of Catholic Bishops NCWC National Catholic War Council / Welfare Council / Welfare Conference NRPE National Religious Partnership for the Environment NWCU National Workshop on Christian Unity USCC United States Catholic Conference USCCB United States Conference of Catholic Bishops vi LIST OF GRAPHS Graph 1.1: The public accessibility function (A) of a faith community .............................. 31 Graph 1.2: The relationship between religious tension and the slope of the accessibility function ........................................................................................................... 32 vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to acknowledge the members of his committee for their patience, encouragement, and insight along the way. Richard Madsen is an inspiring scholar who brings critical reflection and balanced judgment to the human dilemmas that modern life poses. John Evans, always both cordial and frank, encouraged me to cut through the data and the theory to get to the heart of the matter. Gershon Shafir was especially helpful when I was sorting my proposal out at its beginning stages. David Pellow's encouragement and feedback was always very much appreciated. And Joel Robbins was very accommodating despite the heavy demands on his own schedule. The author would also like to acknowledge the people who gave so graciously of their time when he was conducting his research. Each of my interviews was a marvelous education in itself. Not only were the people I spoke with generous in sharing their time, wisdom, and enthusiasm with me. They also clearly were people who dedicated themselves in service to their community and their faith. I remember walking away from each of my interviews thinking it was a privilege to have shared such an exchange. While all those who met with me earned my very sincere thanks, I would especially like to acknowledge those who made a significant contribution to this study. Walt Grazer and Drew Christiansen, SJ, then of the United States Catholic Conference, were very generous in helping a young scholar get the lay of the land. Beth Johnson, CSJ, of Fordham University and past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America,
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