Sociology and the End of the Reformation

A review of a new book: The Truth About Conservative Christians: What They Think and What They Believe by Andrew M. Greeley and Michael Hout.

The third newsworthy story in this book concerns evangelical-Catholic relations. The last decade has seen signs of a possible rapprochement between these historically antagonistic traditions. Some evangelical and Catholic leaders may see such a strategic ecumenical alliance as both possible and valuable. But Greeley and Hout reveal significant anti-Catholic sentiment lingering among ordinary conservative Protestant believers, who tend more than other Americans to believe that Catholics are not allowed to think for themselves, that Catholic statues and images are idols, and so on. Perhaps the Reformation is in fact not yet over.