"Greeley discusses the central themes of Catholic culture: sacrament, salvation, community, festival, hierarchy, erotic desire, and the mother love of God. Ranging widely from Bernini to Scorsese, Greeley's discourse distills these themes from the high arts of Catholic culture and asks: Do these values really influence people's lives? Using international survey data, he shows the counterintuitive ways in which Catholics are defined. He goes on to root these behaviors in the Catholic imagination.".

"As he identifies and explores the fertile terrain of Catholic culture, Greeley illustrates the enduring power of particular stories, images, and orientations in shaping Catholics' lived experience. He challenges a host of assumptions about who Catholics are and makes a strong case for the vitality of the culture today. The Catholic imagination is sustained and passed on in relationships, in the home and the community, Greeley shows."--BOOK JACKET.