ABSTRACT
Many Catholics today are disenchanted with the Church's continuing distrust of women and laity. But, despite this widespread dissatisfaction, traditional power relations have hardly changed over the last century. "Catholics, Conflicts and Choices" presents detailed interviews with lay people, priests, Sisters, and Christian Brothers, each discussing their personal struggles with church teachings and practices. The conversations are selected to illustrate different experiences of power relations - particularly different aspects of gender dynamics - within the organisational structures of the Church. The interviews are examined within a framework of feminist, sociological and psychological theory. "Catholics, Conflicts and Choices" reveals how, despite a long history of challenging official notions of authority and obedience and assumptions about intimate relationships, there is little potential for change if the established power relations of the Church are not confronted.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |83 pages
Experience and Knowledge
chapter |17 pages
When This Story Began
chapter |13 pages
Growing up Catholic
chapter |21 pages
Thinking about Experience
chapter |27 pages
Sharing Knowledge
part |101 pages
Catholic Experiences of Power
chapter |49 pages
Questioning the Catholic Institution
chapter |28 pages
Engaging with other Catholics
chapter |21 pages
Managing One's Self
part |36 pages
Gender Work in Christ's Household