Intransigeance ou compromis: Sociologie et histoire du catholicisme actuel by Paul-André Turcotte

Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS 487 gious virtuosi; and their decline as resource deprivation and frame disalignment . Chapters on theory and vocabulary, both religious and sociological, and on the history ofCatholic religious orders and congregations,preface the main section on growth and decline cycles from late classical through the contemporary era. Tables such as "Basic Purposes of Religious Life" as given in sources from the fourth through the nineteenth centuries; and "External Sources of Communal Decline" from the fourth through the eighteenth centuries, supply convenient reference points for the narrative analysis. The volume culminates with consideration of the precipitous decline of religious congregations over the past thirty years in the United States, a process which began manifesting itself inWestern European countries in the years immediately followingWorldWar II. Bibliography is thorough with regard to relevant sociological studies; historical sources cited are of uneven quality, a weakness which does not seriously detract from the book's success in suggesting a fresh interpretation of the profound changes affecting contemporary religious congregations. It is to be hoped that this exploratory effort will lead to further research on rapidly disappearing forms of religious life in the Church today. Karen M. Kennelly, CSJ. Mount St. Mary's College, LosAngeles Intransigeance ou compromis: Sociologie et histoire du catholicisme actuel. By Paul-André Turcotte. [Héritage et Projet, 51] (Quebec, Canada: Editions Fides. 1994. Pp. 464. $3995 paperback). The author combines sociological and historical methods to analyze the problems and opportunities facing the Roman Catholic Church in the Province of Quebec, Canada. This approach alone merits wide readership of the book by professionals in both fields. Its value, however, is not limited to methodology. While the data presented pertain mainly to Quebec, the analysis is a sociohistorical contribution to assessing the impact ofVatican Council II on the universal Church, at least in modern societies. This is a compilation of previous studies, both empirical and theoretical, by the same author which focus on the parish, the school, and the religious order. While linkages are made between the various sections, the presentation suffers somewhat from inadequate integration, especially for readers who are not familiar with the history and religious situation of French Canada. Utilizing the bi-polar concepts of intransigence and compromise as adaptations to the strains of cultural, social, and religious change, the author discusses the parish as the basic institution to maintain religious faith and practice, the school as the primary mechanism of religious socialization, and finally the religious order as an intermediate type of group at the intersection of traditional 488 BOOK REVIEWS commitment and accommodation. Discussion in each of these sections is guided by Ernst Troeltsch's typology of Christian groupings within the context of Peter Berger's theories on the social credibility ofreligion in an environment characterized by increasing secularization and religious pluralism. It should be mentioned that the author is acutely aware that insights from sociology and history do not exhaust religious experience. He admits that they can clarify issues but insists that the relationship between these approaches and theology or other sciences should also be taken into account. A general confusion emerges to the effect that compromise is observed most often among intermediary agents rather than among top officials preoccupied with maintaining traditional identities. The problematic of intransigence or compromise is set up by the very nature of a religious grouping born of a prophetic impulse, namely, the tendency to maintain its initial vision and the tendency to institutionalize it. Here the author relies heavily on the work of Max Weber. The book is an invitation for readers to shed simplistic interpretations of the tensions facing Roman Catholicism and to realize that the relationship between society, culture, and religion is complex. More is involved than the bare opposition between tradition and modernity. For example, in the Province of Quebec, French Canadian marginalization and nationalism are major factors helping to explain the tensions experienced. For the professional historian and sociologist the last section, a sort of methodological appendix on the advantages ofusing sociological techniques in the study of historical data, is especially valuable. The book is highly recommended to anyone who can read French without difficulty. The qualification is important. Because of the author's style and...