The Underground Church ─ Nonviolent Resistance to the Vatican Empire

Kautzer (sociology, Regis College) presents a study of the escalating struggles between the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and progressive reform groups. Aiming to put the reform movement in a larger historical and cultural context, she relies on Gene Sharp's typology of nonviolent resistance. She considers groups from around the world, the issue of women's ordination, and marginalized and otherwise underground faith communities. The material is organized into three major parts with the first describing the efforts of reformers between 1975 and 2010, focusing on the relatively weaker forms of nonviolent resistance they employed--such as petitions, newspaper-ads, and demonstrations at the Council of Bishops. The second part turns to more confrontational forms of nonviolent resistance, particularly noncooperation. The third section considers parallel institutions and worship-communities, including four different types of Eucharist communities, five independent parishes, a network of parishes and two seminary-like organizations. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Kathleen Kautzer, Ph.D. (1988) in Social Policy, Brandeis University, is Associate Professor of Sociology at Regis College in Weston, MA. Her publications cover social and religious movements and labor unions.