Parish Boundaries: The Catholic Encounter with Race in the Twentieth-Century Urban North

A “remarkable” study of white Catholics and African Americans—and the dynamics between them in New York, Chicago, Boston, and other cities (The New York Times Book Review). Parish Boundaries chronicles the history of Catholic parishes in major cities such as Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia, melding their unique place in the urban landscape to the course of twentieth century American race relations. In vivid portraits of parish life, John McGreevy examines the contacts and conflicts between European-American Catholics and their African American neighbors. By tracing the transformation of a church, its people, and the nation, McGreevy illuminates the enormous impact of religious culture on modern American society.

“Thorough, sensitive, and balanced.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Parish Boundaries can take its place in the front ranks of the literature of urban race relations.”—The Washington Post

"A prodigiously researched, gracefully written book distinguished especially by its seamless treatment of social and intellectual history."—American Historical Review

“Parish Boundaries will fascinate historians and anyone interested in the historic connection between parish and race.”—Chicago Tribune

© 2016 The University of Chicago Press (Ebook): 9780226497471

Release date

Ebook: October 13, 2016