After World War II, many aspects of American life underwent dramatic changes—including the Catholic Church. These social, cultural, and theological changes gave rise to a very strong strain of rejection, a fundamentalist Catholic movement based on fear and a loss of identity, according to Professor of Theology Mark Massa, S.J., director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life. “Catholic fundamentalists want to go back to a more defined Church where Catholics can have a clear identity that’s different from the cultural identity of most people,” said Fr. Massa, author of the new book Catholic Fundamentalism in America (Oxford University Press, 2025). “I want to offer language and nuance that can help others understand who Catholic fundamentalists are and why they’re so desperate to find a safe space that doesn’t change.” Read more in BC News.