White eagle, Black Madonna : one thousand years of the Polish Catholic tradition /

Clearly written and evenhanded in its presentation, this important book provides an overview of the history of Polish Catholicism, a topic infrequently treated in Anglophone scholarship. Alvis (Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology) contextualizes this history in the larger framework of Polish and ecclesiastical history, looks at institutional developments, and effectively portrays the varieties of the lived experience of Polish Catholics. He is particularly good at showing the unifying and motivating power of Polish Catholicism, particularly during times of national adversity. He also, however, scrutinizes such troubling matters as the church's sometime anti-Semitism, its retrogressive political engagements and insularity, and its role in scandal. Readers will find in these pages vivid treatment of figures both familiar (e.g., Karol Wojtyta, Pope John Paul II) and less known (among them Elbieta Róa Czacka, 1876-1961, a Polish nun who founded a religious order to care for the blind). Alvis's presentation is subtle, sensitive, and full of insights that contribute to a larger understanding of both Polish history and the Catholic tradition. Well-chosen illustrations, some of them photographs taken by the author, enrich the volume. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. --Paul W. Knoll, University of Southern California