Catholic Viewpoint Series Catholic Viewpoint on Censorship
Type
Book
Authors
Category
Social problems
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Publication Year
1958
Publisher
Hanover House, United States
Pages
192
Series Name
Description
Just what is the attitude of Catholics on censorship? Here, in the second volume of The Catholic Viewpoint Series, a leading figure on the American literary scene gives plain answers to one of the thorniest questions involving the relations of Catholics and many of their fellow Americans.
Father Gardiner begins by defining terms. He gives the Catholic position on censorship, both in its theory and practical application. He analyzes the concepts of law and freedom, showing how the two can and do coexist in the Church, and cites as an example the Index of Prohibited Books, its meaning and history.
Then he turns to the current American scene, considers all the legal aspects, and examines the two main Catholic groups involved in the censorship controversy, the National Legion of Decency and the National Office for Decent Literature. He studies the aims and methods of these two groups and weighs the charges leveled against them by the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Book Publishers Council. Father Gardiner faces the hard questions squarely:
Are the National Legion of Decency and the National Office for Decent Literature pressure groups?
Have they the right to boycott?
Do they attempt to impost their views on others?
Father Gardiner notes the differing answers Catholics themselves sometimes give, then concludes with his own concrete suggestions for clearing the air so all sides may better understand one another.
The Author
Harold C. Gardiner is a Jesuit priest who, because of his position as literary editor of America, has been close to the problem of Catholics and censorship for nearly two decades. His book, Norms for the Novel, treats the subject of morality in fiction. He has also written Mystery's End, which is a study of medieval drama, and a juvenile book about Edmund Campion; and he has edited Fifty Years of the American Novel, a modern version of The Imitation of Christ, and the four-volume Great Books: A Christian Appraisal.
Taken from the inside flaps.
Father Gardiner begins by defining terms. He gives the Catholic position on censorship, both in its theory and practical application. He analyzes the concepts of law and freedom, showing how the two can and do coexist in the Church, and cites as an example the Index of Prohibited Books, its meaning and history.
Then he turns to the current American scene, considers all the legal aspects, and examines the two main Catholic groups involved in the censorship controversy, the National Legion of Decency and the National Office for Decent Literature. He studies the aims and methods of these two groups and weighs the charges leveled against them by the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Book Publishers Council. Father Gardiner faces the hard questions squarely:
Are the National Legion of Decency and the National Office for Decent Literature pressure groups?
Have they the right to boycott?
Do they attempt to impost their views on others?
Father Gardiner notes the differing answers Catholics themselves sometimes give, then concludes with his own concrete suggestions for clearing the air so all sides may better understand one another.
The Author
Harold C. Gardiner is a Jesuit priest who, because of his position as literary editor of America, has been close to the problem of Catholics and censorship for nearly two decades. His book, Norms for the Novel, treats the subject of morality in fiction. He has also written Mystery's End, which is a study of medieval drama, and a juvenile book about Edmund Campion; and he has edited Fifty Years of the American Novel, a modern version of The Imitation of Christ, and the four-volume Great Books: A Christian Appraisal.
Taken from the inside flaps.
Number of Copies
1
