This compelling collection of twelve essays, including one by Fr. Francis Bethel, a monk of Clear Creek, traces the forgotten yet vital history of Catholic agrarian life in America, from early missions and immigrant homesteads to modern efforts at family-based land stewardship. Together, these scholars reveal how faith, work, and land once formed a coherent Catholic way of life—and how they still can.
Softcover, 416 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches.
The American Catholic Land Movement: Past, Present, and Future
- Presents a coherent narrative of the American Catholic land tradition through 12 scholarly essays
- Explores the impact of key movements such as the Southern Agrarians, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, and the Catholic Worker movement
- Analyzes modern efforts—like local, family‑based economic initiatives and homesteading—as practical responses to social and economic challenges
- Offers thoughtful proposals for how Catholics today can sanctify home and soil, integrating prayer, work, and community life
- Reclaims a distinctly American agrarian heritage for Catholics, connecting faith with land, labor, and cultural rootedness
Edited by Jason Craig and Jared Staudt (an oblate of Clear Creek Abbey).
