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Parish Boundaries

The Catholic Encounter with Race in the Twentieth-Century Urban North

Parish Boundaries chronicles the history of Catholic parishes in major cities such as Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia, melding their unique place in the urban landscape to the course of twentieth century American race relations. In vivid portraits of parish life, John McGreevy examines the contacts and conflicts between Euro-American Catholics and their African-American neighbors. By tracing the transformation of a church, its people, and the nation, McGreevy illuminates the enormous impact of religious culture on modern American society.

"Parish Boundaries can take its place in the front ranks of the literature of urban race relations."—Jonathan Dorfman, Washington Post Book Review

"A prodigiously researched, gracefully written book distinguished especially by its seamless treatment of social and intellectual history."—Robert Orsi, American Historical Review

"Parish Boundaries will fascinate historians and anyone interested in the historic connection between parish and race."—Ed Marciniak, Chicago Tribune

"The history that remains to be written will rest on the firm foundation of Mr. McGreevy’s remarkable book."—Richard Wightman Fox, New York Times Book Review

368 pages | 29 halftones, 4 maps | 6 x 9 | © 1996

Historical Studies of Urban America

Geography: Urban Geography

History: American History, Urban History

Religion: American Religions

Table of Contents

Introduction
1: A Catholic World in America
2: "Race" and the Immigrant Church
3: Catholics and the Second World War
4: Neighborhood Transition in a Changing Church
5: Community Organization and Urban Renewal
6: Washington and Rome
7: Civil Rights and the Second Vatican Council
8: Racial Justice and the People of God
9: Catholic Freedom Struggle
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index

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