Survey of United States catholic letters in the twentieth century

Abstract

The year 1900 is merely an arbitrary date, and it is practically impossible for any outsider to evaluate American Catholic letters in the past half century without considering the historical and cultural background out of which they were born. It would be exalting mediocrity to contend that Catholic letters - at least until very recently - flourished in America with. any vigour or continuity. True, American Catholicism constitutes a minority culture in the midst of a vast society, predominantly secularized. But at the same time we are by far the largest single group in the United States. Out of a total population of 150 million, there are nearly 30 million' Catholics. Yet, as on looks back over the panorama of the history of letters in America, it is woefully apparent that our contributions to literature, at least in the past, have been for the most part very slight and very undistinguished.