Cunnane, Finola

English

Loyola Marymount University

Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiryand PracticeVolume 5 | Issue 1 Article 119-1-2001Cultures Apart? The Catholic Church andContemporary Irish Youth, by Oliver V. BrennanFinola CunnaneFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/ceThis Book Review is brought to you for free with open access by the School of Education at Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University andLoyola Law School. It has been accepted for publication in Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice by the journal's editorial board andhas been published on the web by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. Formore information about Digital Commons, please contact digitalcommons@lmu.edu. To contact the editorial board of Catholic Education: A Journalof Inquiry and Practice, please email CatholicEdJournal@lmu.edu.Recommended CitationCunnane, F. (2001). Cultures Apart? The Catholic Church and Contemporary Irish Youth, by Oliver V. Brennan. Journal of CatholicEducation, 5 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.15365/joce.0501112013BOOK REVIEWS 127However, he suggests that such things as the sharing of sacraments, the tra-ditions of saints, and Marian spirituality can offer much to the relational per-spective of Catholic school education.Most United States Catholic educators have some understanding of thehistory and development of Catholic education in our country. However, formost, undertaking Catholic Education: Inside-Out/Outside-In will be akin towalking into a play during the third act. Without the necessary backgroundregarding Catholic schools in Great Britain, readers may be overwhelmed bythe political references in many of the essays. Furthermore, for Catholicschool educators hoping to find new inspiration and motivation for theirendeavors, several of the essays written in the style of a dissertation encum-bered by numerous and distracting references may disappoint. Despite theseshortcomings, one should not overlook the scholarly reflections and insightsthat form the basis of this work and in particular, the observations offered bythose contributors outside the Catholic school framework.Rev. Joseph D. Massitcci is the chairperson of the Department of Educational Leadership and coordinatesthe Catholic School Leadership Formation program in the School of Education and Allied Professions at theUniversity of Dayton.CULTURES APART? THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ANDCONTEMPORARY IRISH YOUTHOLIVER V. BRENNAN, VERITAS PUBLICATIONS, 2001.Reviewed by Finola Cunnane, S.S.L.Why are many young people who were reared in families characterizedby a strong commitment to the Church becoming indifferent toward thefaith community in which they were nurtured and socialized? This is thequestion that exercises the mind of the author of Cultures Apart? TheCatholic Church and Contemporary Irish Youth. While there is clear evidencethat a spiritual hunger exists among the rising generation, young people arerather lukewarm toward institutionalized religion except, of course, for a bap-tism or wedding!Cultures Apart? is a challenging and very insightful book written by Dr.Oliver V. Brennan, formerly the Director of Pastoral Studies at the PontificalUniversity, Maynooth, Ireland, and now pastor in one of the most rapidlygrowing parishes on the east coast of Ireland. Much of the research that ledto the writing of this book was done at Fordham University, New York, dur-ing his pursuit of doctoral studies. Brennan brings his professional and pas-toral expertise to bear on this fascinating study of culture and its impact onthe beliefs, values, and practices of young people today. He believes that the128 Catholic Edtwation/September 2001better we understand contemporary youth culture the more effective we willbe as educators, religious educators, youth leaders, pastors, and parents.This book examines the paradigmatic shift that is occurring with regardto young people's affiliation with the Catholic Church in Ireland, particular-ly as reflected in their meager participation in the weekly celebration of theEucharist. The author cites the results of various surveys to indicate a signif-icant social and cultural shift following rapid economic expansion, somethingthat parallels similar developments in other advanced and prosperous soci-eties in various parts of the world. In examining the impact of socioculturalchange on the beliefs, values, attitudes, and behavior of young people, thisunique Irish situation is considered within the context of similar changes inother countries in an increasingly postmodern age. Since the Church-culturerelationship in Ireland has evolved to mirror that throughout Western civi-lization, both the sources used and the conclusions drawn are pertinent to theindifference of youth throughout the Western world.Cultures Apart? offers many academic insights into the ways in whichIreland has changed in recent decades as well as into the lived culture ofyoung people. It is clear that the Church often has difficulty in communicat-ing with this new youth culture. The chapter entitled "The Voices ofContemporary Irish Youth," in which the author, using five personal casestudies, highlights some of the realities and challenges facing the Church,will fascinate many readers. These five stories from the rising generationmake for extremely interesting reading and each of us is probably familiarwith young people such as these irrespective of where we live in the devel-oped world.On the basis of the research that went into the writing of this book, itappears that the biggest challenge facing the Catholic Church in Ireland, andchurches in the developed world generally, does not center on the lack of reli-gious faith or a lack of openness to the religious dimension of human exis-tence. The author points out thatWhile one should not underestimate the many elements in a consumerist,commodity-driven culture that diminish interiority and block the opennessthat is a prerequisite for hearing the message of the Gospel among largenumbers of young people, the greatest threat to meaningful Church affilia-tion appears to be coming from a post-modem culture that is increasinglysupplying the framework in which young people live. This is especiallycharacterized by dissatisfaction with religious institutions, rampant rela-tivism, pluralism, and apathy, as well as a reluctance to take part in ritualthat is not deeply experienced, (p. 130)Since human existence at the dawn of the third millennium ofChristianity is heavily marked by postmodern sensibilities, an authentic andBOOK REVIEWS 129effective approach to religious education and pastoral ministry must takeserious account of this new reality that is open to the religious dimension ofhuman existence and yet presents problems for institutionalized religiousfaith.According to the author, effective religious education and youth ministry"will require an attitude of openness and a willingness to dialogue with whatmay appear at times to be an alien cultural environment" (p. 193). On thebasis of young people's spiritual openness and their search for community,Brennan's final chapter explores a religious educational and pastoralresponse to the reality facing the Church today. He also outlines a number ofprinciples that should underpin the successful enculturation of the gospelmessage into the landscape of contemporary youth culture.Finola Cunnane, S.S.L., Ph.D., is director of religious educatioti. Diocese of Ferns, Ireland.THE CATHOLIC CHARACTER OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLSJAMES YOUNISS, JOHN CONVEY, JEFFREY MCLELLAN, EDS., UNI-VERSITY OF NOTRE DAME PRESS, 2000.Reviewed by Mary C. Mullaly, FMAContemporary Catholic education is presented in this informative book bymeans of a panoptic array of dynamic issues that Catholic schoolsencounter in fulfilling their mission and heritage.Editors James Youniss, John Convey, and Jeffrey McLellan, through aseries of 11 essays, address the raison d'etre for Catholic schools: their reli-gious and Catholic character. These essays are relevant to those inside thesystem who seek a deeper knowledge of the Catholic school's uniqueness,history, and culture. They are also relevant to those outside the system whoseek to understand the Catholic school's contribution to wider society andhumanity as a whole through its religious, moral, and cultural values.The cultural context in which Catholic schools operate is very complexand differs from what it was at the beginning of the 20th century. Debatesand discussions arise as to whether the Catholic school is still measuring upto its standards of the pre-1960s era or is taking advantage of the possibili-ties Vatican II envisioned for its future. The book's introduction maintainsthat this form of debate can distract us from a fundamental point, that "his-tory does not move backward in time and any viable religion must be prac-ticed and understood in the context of real lives and living cultures" (p. 8).The Catholic Character of Catholic Schools addresses this thesis. The key

Cultures Apart? The Catholic Church and Contemporary Irish Youth, by Oliver V. Brennan

https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1533&amp;context=ce

Cultures Apart? The Catholic Church and Contemporary Irish Youth, by Oliver V. Brennan

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Loyola Marymount University