Friday, November 2, 2007

Determinants of Ideological Change

A trip down memory nave.
Since bishops and priests also believed that non-Catholics were eternally damned, they were eager to lend their support to new groups that offered prospects of rescuing them. ... the disappearance of this belief after the mid-twentieth century removed a key motivation for the hierarchy to support religious life.
--Patricia Wittberg, The Rise and Fall of Catholic Religious Orders: A Social Movement Perspective (1994) p. 155

3 comments:

  1. Terrance:

    Do I misuderstand? Does the Catholic Church no longer believe non-Christians are damned?

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  2. ...and sorry for spelling your name wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Probably one reason I don't have any sons named Terrence, Jr..

    The author is not explaining what the Church teaches, but rather is giving her assessement of what its bishops generally believe.

    The Church teaching can be found in sections 830-856, especially sections 846-848, of the Catechism.

    ReplyDelete