Book Reviews : Catholic Action and Politics. By TOM TRUMAN. (Melbourne: Georgian House, 1959. Pp. x., 234. 35/.)

• Published date: 01 September 1960
• Date: 01 September 1960
• DOI: 10.1177/106591296001300352
• Subject Matter: Articles

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Catholic Action and Politics. By TOM TRUMAN. (Melbourne: Georgian House,
1959. Pp. x., 234. 35/.)
This volume developed out of the controversy about a split within the Aus-
tralian Labor party. In a sense, the book is a case study about a political situation
with which few Americans are familiar. As such, the study has the advantages
and disadvantages of the usual case study. Yet, the volume is a more valuable
contribution than the typical case study because the problem of organization
within an organization gives opportunity to explore many facets of Catholic
thought about social action. Since the Catholic Church is an international body
the discussion of its doctrines has much broader significance than the parochial
Australian situation itself would imply.
At the outset the author, the Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the
University of Queensland, indicates another volume is planned to explore fully
the reasons for the split of the Australian Labor party in 1954. The present book
merely attempts to determine the role of Catholic Action in Australian Labor
politics.
In order to accomplish his purpose the author traces the general aims and
objectives of the Catholic Church, and the organization, aims, policies, and training
of Catholic Action groups. These chapters will be very informative to the non-
Catholic reader, whether American or Australian. The author, himself, acknowl-
edges his method of quoting from Catholic documents can be weary. Indeed, one
frequently feels he is reading a collection of documents. But, since the author
sought to allow Catholics to &dquo;speak for themselves as the fairest procedure pos-
sible&dquo; one cannot legitimately be too critical of his style in this regard.
The...