Policing Blasphemy

Abstract

This article examines how American Catholics during the Progressive Era responded to what they understood as moral and theological decline, particularly through an analysis of public discourse on blasphemy. Drawing on newspapers, theology, and state laws, this article argues that blasphemy was recognized not only as profane speech but also as a challenge to religious authority and doctrinal orthodoxy that needed to be policed. The American Catholic Church condemned vulgarity and the denial of Christ’s divinity as symptomatic of a broader cultural crisis rooted in a break from God, caused by the rejection of clerical doctrine. During the first decades of the twentieth century, Christianity found itself challenged by an increasingly influential scientific worldview that denied Christ’s divinity and viewed Catholic beliefs as untenable, in light of discoveries in the natural and social sciences. In response, Catholics cajoled, sued, and established a medieval organization designed to fight against blasphemy in America: the Holy Name Society, which encouraged the laity to police their speech and participate in the sacraments to support the credibility of the Catholic message. The laity understood that through prayer and collective organization they could shape a public image of grievance and work toward the salvation of humanity in the face of what they defined as blasphemy.