2025/04/23 by Brian Starks · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #American Constitutional Law and Politics
paper · doi:10.1093/sf/soaf044
openalex publication_date 2025/04/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Catholics in America: A Social Portrait by Lisa Keister is a book about Catholics, but not just about Catholics! Rather, it is a comparative, demographic study of (large) contemporary religious groups in the United States, with particular attention to, and discussion of, where and how (White and Latino) Catholics fit in that context. Importantly, it utilizes multiple, high-quality nationally representative surveys to authoritatively describe Catholics within the US mosaic. The book is divided into two parts. The first portion focuses on demographics and life course trajectories, with chapters on social origins (Chapter 2), family status and fertility (Chapter 3), stratification in terms of educational, occupational, and wealth status (Chapter 4), and finally, an examination of religious mobility—that is, an exploration of who leaves, stays, and joins different religious traditions (Chapter 5). The second part of the book focuses on beliefs and attitudes, with chapters on religious beliefs and practices (Chapter 6), politics (Chapter 7), and social issues (Chapter 8).