This book examines the Roman Catholic Church in the United States as it responds to the AIDS crisis and persons with AIDS from a critical sociological perspective using organizational theory.
Mark R. Kowalewski is a postdoctoral fellow at the Drug Abuse Research Center at UCLA.
Recensioner i media
"This topic is significant for two reasons: (1) AIDS and the Church's response to it will continue to create conflict and force issues regarding moral deliberation to the forefront of theological ethics; (2) the Church's use of power and its openness to transformation in light of the tension between the ecclesiology of Vatican II and the positions taken by the present magisterium will continue to be an issue for North American Catholics. This book bridges the disciplines of sociology and theology in a useful way."The development of theory together with the author's willingness to let readers hear the voices of the priests on the front line of AIDS ministry make for a very compelling narrative. No one else has done anything like this. The topical importance of AIDS needs no underscoring. Little field work on pastoral ministry in the AIDS context exists. This is a pathbreaking study and could be a landmark for many years to come."Ideas like limited accommodation as neutralizing change, and a statement that negotiation on practical implementation of teachings can itself be a buffer against more radical change—these are most valuable insights into how organizations maintain themselves in turbulent environments. The entire range of interplay between authority structure and lower-line professional is wonderfully explored and reflected upon." — Patrick McNamara, The University of New Mexico"Kowalewski emphasizes and describes how pastoral care at the local level can have the ironic effect of legitimating and sustaining power structures, thus revealing the unexpected ways in which power is wielded." — Ralph F. Smith, Wartburg Theological Seminary
Innehållsförteckning
Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction The Church as a Complex OrganizationThe Localization of PowerTheological ConsiderationsAIDS: The Medical, Social, and Religious ContextAIDS and the Archdioceses of Los AngelesPlan of the Study 2. Methods Data Collection and AnalysisModels of the Church 3. The Hierarchy Responds to AIDS The Vatican and AIDSThe American Bishops and AIDSThe Hierarchy and Impression Management 4. Priests and AIDS Education A Compassionate ResponsePreventive EducationEducational ProgramsAIDS Prevention and the Church: A Brief Normative Note 5. Priests and PWAs Ministering to the Needs of PWAsConflict in MinistrySummary 6. Toward an Analysis of Ecclesiastical Organization Professional Power and Individual AutonomyApparatuses of PowerChange in Organizational Structures 7. Toward a Normative Critique of Church Structures Priests as Ministers and MediatorsRoman Locuta, Causa Finita or Sensus FideliumReception and Church TeachingPower and Knowledge: Further ExamplesThe Moral Voice of Catholic Laity Notes References Index
