The Eighty-fifth Annual Meeting of the American Catholic Historical Association

Report of the Chairman of the Committee on Program

The Association met in Seattle, Washington, between January 7 and 9, 2005, in conjunction with the American Historical Association at the Sheraton Hotel. The registration table was conveniently situated on the second floor of the hotel, quite visible to all participants as they ascended the escalator to attend the sessions in the designated rooms along a corridor just a few steps from the table. The ballroom for the luncheon was also only a minute's walk from all points of the Association's activities. Of the sixty-one persons registered for the meeting, fifty-five attended the presidential luncheon.

The first session on Friday, January 7, "The Church in the United States in the wake of Vatican II," began with David J. O'Brien of the College of the Holy Cross reflecting on his 1969 book, The Renewal of American Catholicism. In discussing Americanism then and now, he concluded with a call for renewed Americanism, urging Catholics to be engaged in the welfare of the Church and in creating a just society.

Jeffrey M. Burns of the Academy of American Franciscan History spoke on "'Penitential Recommitment to Social Justice': The Church in San Francisco following the Council." He focused on four developments in the Bay area that began in the 1950's as movements of change rather than products of the sixties and the impact of Vatican II. Joseph P. Chinnici, O.F.M., of the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California, presented a paper on "Changing Religious Practice and the End of Christendom in the United States, 1965–1986." Tracing the origins of changing patterns of prayers and practices in the immediate pre-Vatican II Church, Chinnici then explored post-conciliar spheres to demonstrate new ways of analyzing religious change resulting in fresh interpretations of the period.

Amy Koehlinger of Florida State University commented on the significance of each of the papers. In her concluding remarks she brought unity to the papers under the thematic idea of "Rupture and Continuity," related to interpreting the meanings of Vatican II by emphasizing developmental change of the 1950's through 1960's or viewing the Council as signaling a "decisive break in American Catholic history." There were well over thirty people attending the session that made for a lively discussion with many questions, comments, and autobiographical anecdotes connecting with many of the ideas, topics, and themes presented by the panelists and the commentator.

In a concurrent panel titled "Women and Religious Orders in Medieval Germany," Shelley Wolbrink of Drury University analyzed "The Myth of the Noble Nun: Female Premonstratensians in Northwestern Germany, 1120–1300." She was followed by June L. Mecham of the University of Kansas, whose remarks centered on "Competing Visions: Foundation Legends in Wienhausen and Medingen as Indicators of Communal Identity and Social Status." Lastly, Erika L. Lindgren of Wabash College presented her research on "'Poor Sisters, Widows, and Noble Virgins': Foundational Patterns of Female Dominican Houses in Medieval Germany." Alison I. Beach of the College of William and Mary commented on the panelists' papers.

In Friday's afternoon session, two presenters focused on "Acceptance and Denial: Chinese and Japanese Responses to Catholicism." Eric Cunningham of Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, presented "The Self-determination of Divine Will: Eschatology in Nishida's Historical Philosophy." Cunningham's paper argued two closely interwoven theses: first, that the eschatological concerns of Kitaro Nishida's philosophy had been unfortunately ignored in most works on Japan's foremost philosopher and, second, that this aspect of Kitaro's thought most betrayed his interest in (and influence by) the medieval Christian mystical tradition, most notably John Scotus Eriugena and Meister Eckhart.

Next, Anthony E. Clark of the University of Oregon presented "The 'Unfilial' Son: Confucian Reactions to the Image of the Crucified Christ in Late Imperial China." Clark's paper argued that recent academic literature on the Jesuit missions to...