Catholic Intellectuals and the Challenge of Democracy - Hardcover

“A fascinating study of the distinctly varying perspectives of early-twentieth-century intellectuals consciously moved by Catholic principles.  Corrin’s careful analysis shows that thinkers like Belloc, Chesterton, H. A. Reinhold, and Luigi Sturzo defy easy categorization. An excellent guide to their different responses to issues like the Spanish Civil War.” —John P. McCarthy, professor of history and Director, Institute of Irish Studies, Fordham University

“Professor Corrin has produced an informative, balanced, and insightful study of the Catholic Church's liberal or progressive voices from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s.  This book is required reading for anyone reflecting on how the Church should relate to the contemporary world.” —Robert Krieg, professor of theology, University of Notre Dame

“Professor Corrin’s book is a significant contribution to our understanding of the Catholic reaction to the modern world, and particularly to the cataclysmic events of the 1920s and 1930s.  Corrin succeeds splendidly in bringing to light the activities of a small and oft-ignored group of progressive Catholics struggling against reactionary critics to show the world that Church teaching was not hostile to democracy.  The author’s wide reading in the sources and his clear explanatory style make this work necessary reading for anyone who wants to understand Catholic thought as an essential element in the entire fabric of intellectual discourse on the problems of democracy and of the poor.” —Jose Sanchez, professor of history at Saint Louis University and author of The Spanish Civil War as a Religious Tragedy

Jay P. Corrin is Chairman and Professor of the Division of Social Science in the College of General Studies at Boston University. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc: The Battle against Modernity.