Folia Theologica 10. (1999)
John P. Galvin: Theology in the United States
THEOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES 83 Catholics are not evenly distributed throughout the United States. The highest percentage of Catholics is to be found in the small Northeastern state of Rhode Island (64%), followed by the neighboring state of Massachusetts, where I was born, at 49%. Catholic population is especially low in the South, as it totals only 3-4% in the Southern states of Alabama, Arkansas (the home of President Clinton), Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Not surprisingly, the major Catholic theological centers are located in areas with a large Catholic population.1 2. To understand the situation of Catholic theology in the United States, it is important to grasp from the outset that the relationship of church and state in the United States differs from that in most, if not all, European countries. The Constitution of the United States, adopted in 1789, is in large part a product of the Enlightenment; it reflects both the accomplishments and the limitations of that period of modern history. (Not only much of Europe, but also Canada differs significantly from the United States in this regard.) The First Amendment to the American Constitution (passed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and ratified by the necessary number of states on December 15, 1791) provides among other things that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof’. The Fourteenth Amendment, which took effect July 23, 1868, extended this provision (and others) to the individual states.2 Interpretation of these deceptively simple amendments is a highly complex legal matter. Official decisions of the courts about what types of government activity are permissible under the Constitution have varied over time and remain controversial.3 The constitutions of the individual states also vary (within the framework of the federal Constitution) in their provisions regarding religion. For our purposes, it is enough to note that public education in the United States does not include teaching religion (though it may include teaching about religion 1 Statistical data is taken from The Official Catholic Directory for the Year of Our Lord 1998 (New Providence NJ: P. J. Kenedy & Sons, 1998) 2111-2151. 2 The Fourteenth Amendment prescribes, inter alia, that “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States”. 3 For an informative and clear recent treatment of the issues see John T. NOONAN, The Lustre of Our Country: The American Experience of Religious Freedom (Berkeley: The University of California Press, 1998).
