The Catholic Reception of Continental Philosophy in North America

Book excerpt: This volume by leading philosophers and theologians explores the reception of continental philosophy in North America and its ongoing relation to Catholic institutions. What has prompted so many North American Catholics to support this particular school of thought? Why do so many Catholics continue to find continental philosophy attractive, and why do so many continental philosophers work in Catholic departments? The establishment of the relationship between continental philosophy and Catholicism was not obvious, nor was it easy. Many of the contributors to this volume have played important roles in its development, and in these pages they take a stance on this evolving relationship and demonstrate that the engagement is far from over. Exploring the mutual interests that made this alliance possible as well as the underlying tensions, the volume provides, for the first time, an extended reflection on the historical, institutional, and intellectual relationship between Catholicism and continental philosophy on North American soil up to the present day.