Word: novak
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Instead he seeks a middle course, represented by Pope John, who saw that "men learn the natural law only gradually and according to the lessons of history." Novak seeks a Catholicism that blends fact with mystery, that sees man as he is and should be--in his words, a "Christian empiricism...
...Novak's concerns, though, are not strictly limited to Catholicism. Along with many other Americans who spurn the apathy that grew out of the affluence of the 1950's, he is searching for a national purpose. As he says, his book has two aims: "the recovery of the sources of our inner life" and "an ever more accurate assessment of our changing external life." Here he echoes the liturgy of liberalism, not Catholicism, but with a special twist. He asserts that Catholics have much to contribute to liberal causes. "When Catholics become alive in America, the moral revolution ... will...
Most progressive Catholics would agree with Novak's generalizations. Unfortunately he rarely moves beyond them; he seems captured by his rhetoric, satisfied with abstractions, at times too tolerant of superficialities. For example, Novak demands a sweeping revision of American education (particularly at the college level) but never says in concrete terms what he means. "The greatest contribution to the religious life of the university," he says "could come from teachers and scholars--formally religious or not--who could lead the student to the profound experience lying below the surface of the academic curriculum." Interesting, but what is his recommendation...
...critic of Catholicism, Novak suffers from much the same vagueness. He ignores many of the internal policies and attitudes of the Church. Never does he discuss the close identification the Church sees between itself and the propertied classes. In fact, he refuses to examine in any detail the cleavages within the Catholic hierarchy that inhibit reform--the tremendous bureaucracy, the parochial mentality, the strong conservative bias...
...addition, Novak moves too glibly over the substantive issues that divide the majority of Catholics from the liberal mainstream. He fails to explore adequately such problems as federal aid to parochial schools and birth control that threaten not only to divide Americans but to block an inclusive Catholic identity as well...