"This comprehensive survey of Catholic history in what became the United States spans nearly five hundred years, from the arrival of the first Spanish missionaries to the present. Distinguished historian Leslie Tentler explores lay religious practice and the impact of clergy on Catholic life and culture as she seeks to answer the question, What did it mean to be a "good Catholic" at particular times and in particular places? In its focus on Catholics'...

Neuhaus's writing, activism, and connections to people of power in religion, politics, and culture secured a place for himself and his ideas at the center of recent American history. His life and ideas placed him at the vanguard of events and debates across the political and cultural spectrum. Boyagoda examines Neuhaus's multi-faceted life and reveals to the public what made him tick and why.