Product Description

In an evocation of Italian Harlem and the men and women who lived there, Robert Orsi examines how the annual "festa" of the Madonna of 115th Street both influenced and reflected the lives of the celebrants. His prize-winning work seeks to offer a new perspective on lived religion; the place of religion in the everyday lives of men, women and children; the experiences of immigration and community formation; and American Catholicism. This edition includes a new introduction by the author that outlines both the changes that Italian Harlem has undergone since the publication of the first edition and significant shifts in the field of religious history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1394233 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
"A richly tapestried portrait-narrative... Orsi is to be commended for a truly significant contribution to the annals of American social history." Francesco Cordasco, USA Today "Orsi has fashioned an impressive fusion of the inner histories of immigrant social and religious life." John W. Briggs, American Historical Review

John W. Briggs, American Historical Review
"Orsi has fashioned an impressive fusion of the inner histories of immigrant social and religious life."

From the Publisher
Awarded the Alpha Sigma Nu National Book Prize (sponsored by Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States) for outstanding book in the humanities.
Winner of the 1986 American Catholic Historical Association's John Gilmary Shea Prize.

Customer Reviews

This text is an excellent source for urban teachers
To all teachers: Orsi's account of Italian culture and the "theology of the streets" is an excellent source for any church history, or urban history courses, even at the high school level. I teach it to seniors at a Catholic high school in New York City, and they love it. Many are able to identify with the family structure and theology of the Italian community Orsi describes. Some critics of Orsi's work state that he fails to deal sufficiently with the culture-religion that he describes. That is, Orsi himself is uncritical of what many neo-orthodox theologians would consider "magic," not religion. I find that Orsi's acceptance of this "theology of the streets" demonstrates a greater understanding of what Catholicism really means both to its adherants and its hierarchy. Again, a great text for upperclassmen/women in high school and in college. It may open their eyes to a new way of looking at religion.