The Spirit's Tether Family, Work, and Religion among American Catholics [Paperback]

Cultural conflicts about the family - including those surrounding women's social roles, abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception - have intensified over the last few decades among Catholics, as well as among Americans generally. In fact, they are the source of much of the political polarization we see. But how do individuals in local settings and cultures - especially religious ones - experience and participate in these conflicts? Why are they so resonant?

By exploring how religion and family life are intertwined in local parish settings, Mary Ellen Konieczny seeks to explain how and why Catholics are divided about the family.The Spirit's Tetherpresents a detailed comparative ethnographic analysis of the families and local religious cultures in two Catholic parishes, one conservative and one progressive. Through an examination of the activities of parish life and the faith stories of parishioners, this book reveals how parishes support and shape the ways in which Catholics work out the routines of marriage, childrearing, and work-family balance, as well as how they connect these everyday challenges to public politics. Local parishes, Konieczny argues, promote polarization through practices that unintentionally fragment the Catholic tradition.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part 1: The Churches
Chapter 1: Worship
Chapter 2: Belonging

Part 2: The Families
Chapter 3: Marriage
Chapter 4: Children
Chapter 5: Work

Conclusion: Religion, Moral Polarization, and the Fragmentation of Tradition Tables
Bibliography

The Spirit's Tetheris a compelling and rewarding book a thoughtful contribution to relevant issues, and a thoroughly engaging read. --Journal of Religion

Anyone who has felt deeply estranged from fellow Catholics with whom he or she shares, in the end, so much in common stands to gain insight from this book into the dlsJ