John L. Allen Jr. of the NCR has an interesting column about what he terms “Evangelical Catholicism” He had a debate about it at the University of Dayton where he and the other panelists had wildly different definitions of the term. Allen uses the term in an interesting way. He uses it to describe what he sees as “the most powerful current at the policy-setting level of the church, as well as a dynamic constituency at the Catholic grassroots.”
He describes it this way …
- A strong reaffirmation of traditional markers of Catholic belief, language and practice. Examples include the revitalization of the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass, reassertion that Catholicism alone possesses the fullness of what it means to be “church,” and rejection of theological tendencies that would put Christ on the same level as other saving figures;
- Bold public assertion of those markers of identity;
- Personal embrace of those markers of identity, as opposed to simply imbibing them from traditional Catholic cultures, neighborhoods and families.
Amusingly, Allen originally began calling this movement the “Catholic identity movement,” until he got yelled at by a bunch of liberals. I believe this movement is , exactly as Allen defines it, a mega-trend destined to reshape the Church over the next decades. I also believe that the voice of this budding movement can be found in a large way in the Catholic blogosphere.
So after Allen’s retreat from “Catholic Identity Movement” (which I like) he settled on Evangelical Catholicism. However, he readily admits that this more neutral title does not seem to cut the mustard and relays that none other than Fr. Richard John Neuhaus has predicted that it won’t have “staying power.”
So all this got me to thinking, what is a good name for this movement? I figured that if we could come up with a good enough name, why we might even be able to coin it, right here on CMR. Hmmm. I puzzled? And I puzzled? And I puzzled ’til my puzzler was sore. This is what I came up with:
- Opus Dei (I know it has been used already but is scares the liberals so…we could make up posters with albinos on them!)
- The Rational Traditionalist Movement (I like this even if only to annoy the irrational traditionalists! You know who you are! Oh that’s right, you don’t.)
- The Inquisition (always a good one since they will accuse us of it anyway)
However, in all seriousness (that is hard for me to do) my nomination is thus …
- The Catholic Character Movement
I know. Good right? I suggest that you start using this in your daily conversation and always remember where you heard it first.
Let me know your thoughts on the marvelous phrase I just coined and I would love to hear whatever lame suggestions that you can come up with.
March 18, 2008 at 3:36 am
I don’t think Catholic Character Movement is really catchy enough to do much. Sorry, don’t mean to attack, just lacks…power…authority…something strong.
I like the effort, though. And I actually like the Rational Traditionalist Movement (except that I think “traditionalist” is better applied to people who idolize tradition as opposed to simply “traditional”). I’d say something like the Traditional Catholic Movement, except that’s a little ambiguous and also lacking strenght. So maybe (my lam-o-rific attempt) we could call it something like the Real Catholic Movement. I have a fascination for what’s real, since most of the propaganda out there says what’s real is not. I think it’s strong and to the point. The problem would be (and this probably applies to any good designation) that people who just don’t get it just won’t get it.
March 18, 2008 at 10:35 am
Dr Portier, one of the panelists (and a former professor of mine), wrote an interesting article a while back called Here Come the Evangelical Catholics.
Most intriguing is his re-definition of the “era markers” so common to speech about Catholicism, especially in the U.S.: rather than the “pre-Vatican II” and “post- Vatican II,” he prefers “subcultural” and “post-subcultural” Catholicism. Very interesting.
Bring on the post-liberal era!
March 18, 2008 at 10:54 am
And I’ll submit my nomination for the Orthodoctarian Liturgistas. It has an ominous ring.
March 18, 2008 at 11:40 am
Faceman
‘Real Catholic Movement’ sounds like a bad reality show.
I pity the fool.
March 18, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I vote for stealing a page from Sherry Weddell and the folks at the St. Catherine of Siena Institute: “Intentional Catholicism”.
March 18, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Evangelical Catholicism immediately calls to mind Catholic culture in the South – increasingly emotive in worship but with strong attachment to the dogmatic instruction of the Church. These are groups that would be attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass with appropriate education, but weaning them is a bit difficult.
What about something oxymoronic like the Neo-Traditionalists? Or maybe we could reclaim Vatican II for the people who actually read it. I don’t know enough Latin to do that, but I’m sure somebody clever could. There’s also the possibility of the Second Reformation (this, of course, assumes that everyone recognizes that the Protestant “Reformation” must be renamed the Protestant “Revolution” or “Rebellion” or something, anything, more appropriate allowing the Counter Reformation to be more appropriately renamed the Reformation).
What about the Movement of People Who Actually Want to be Catholic and not Some Other Religion?
Ok, my ideas were lame too, but I tried!
March 18, 2008 at 3:04 pm
How about “Liberation Theology Movement”
Liberation from the oppressive progressives of course.
March 18, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Oh. I missed Intentional Catholicism up there. That’s a good one. It also goes well with the arguments presented in M.Swaim’s recommended article Here Come the Evangelical Catholics.
March 18, 2008 at 11:11 pm
How about the Catholics who Became Christians Movement?
(Of course, it will annoy everyone, but it still gets at the heart of it.)
March 19, 2008 at 12:24 am
I know it’s already taken, but I love the term “radical orthodoxy” as a description of the lively new centrist Catholicism.
Radical = getting back to the roots
Orthodoxy = walking/living right
March 19, 2008 at 6:15 am
I think “radical orthodoxy” is about right.
(The name should not include the word “traditional”. That would confuse, given the present, and useful, distinction between traditional and conservative Catholics.)
March 19, 2008 at 12:09 pm
How about the Creative Minority Revolt. Has a nice ring too it.
March 19, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I have to say that I dislike the term Evangelical Catholics. To me it sounds like Catholics who love everything about evangelical Protestant churches yet want to remain Catholic for some reason, probably cultural. They emphasize the Bible more than Tradition or the Eucharist, they don’t pray the Rosary and wonder if those who do worship Mary. They try to Protestantize the Catholic Church. I knew many of these Catholics and even went to churches like that in the Chicago area, where I grew up. Perhaps they are a minority; I can only hope so. But I have to say that only after I moved away from the Archdiocese of Chicago did I actually find Catholic churches that were truly Catholic.
Maybe something like the Authentic Catholic Movement..?
March 19, 2008 at 9:28 pm
I don’t have a name for the movement but I do have an abbreviation for those of who are in the movement–TC (for “Totally Catholic”).
Example: “Yeah, Jim is, like, totally TC.”
March 20, 2008 at 12:56 pm
POD Catholics – Piously Over-Devotional Catholics, committed to orthodoxy and largely comprised of the iPod generation
Fideist Catholics – a little Latin never hurt, you know
Post-modern Catholics – cuts right to the heart of it, but confusingly similar to post-modernism…
Liturgistas – mentioned above, but fantastically appropriate
Catholoholics – yeah…that’s about right…I’m guessing it won’t catch on, though…
March 20, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I am with Tina on the connotation of Evangelical Catholics. I understand the reasoning behind the choice but unfortunately it does not match the most natural first impression of the name which is how it will be taken as the idea spreads. In other words, we don’t need to be spending a lot of time explaining what the name means to the new folks.
I propose the “Catholic Restoration Movement” or just simply the “Catholic Restoration”. It is reasonably positive while leaving little room for misunderstanding.
March 20, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Hey, I got the blogger id working again. Sweet. Yes that was really me.