The Great Catholic Reformers: From Gregory the Great to Dorothy Day

The Great Catholic Reformers covers the careers of Pope Gregory the Great, Peter Damian, Bernard of Clairvaux, Clare of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, Jean Gerson, Jan Hus, Gasparo Gontarini, John Henry Newman, and Dorothy Day. This diversity of reformers in our tradition suggests that legitimate reform within the Catholic Church can operate from different spiritualities, employ either gentle or harsh critiques, use secular or canon law to enforce discipline, and begin with lay men and lay women as well as with members of the religious or of the clergy. The Second Vatican Council stated that the Church is always in need of purification and renewal, but it did not attempt to describe how this process takes place. C. Colt Anderson presents lessons on Church renewal from 10 of the most significant reformers in Church history. By looking at models from a variety of historical and cultural contexts, Anderson describes how reform takes place, what it looks and sounds like, and how it can be effective. By offering these diverse models, The Great Catholic Reformers seeks to encourage every Catholic to take up the difficult task of reform and to provide them with examples that suit their own temperaments. It also aims at broadening tolerance for people who follow different approaches to reform.