Hollywood and Catholic Women:
Virgins, Whores, Mothers, and Other Images
by Kathryn Schleich

 

Hollywood and Catholic Women is one of the texts being used in the Religious Women in Film course being taught at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Religious Studies for Fall 2007. This is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote the book - to expand perceptions and knowledge of how Catholic women are portrayed in film. The second goal is to encourage others to engage in new research on a fascinating and important topic.

Hollywood and Catholic Women provides an intriguing look into the portrayal of Catholic women in American film. For an excerpt from Hollywood and Catholic Women, click on Excerpt.

Book Description
For years, actresses have been commenting on the dearth of interesting movie roles for women. Virgins or vamps, but few women of depth, few complicated women with conflicting emotions or moral uncertainty. Author Kathryn Schleich wondered why women in Hollywood have so few choices.

As an adult convert to Catholicism, Schleich was introduced to the equally patriarchal hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Seeing the reality of Catholic women being barred from full participation in so many of the important, meaningful practices of the Church, Schleich again asked, “Why?”

So, in the same way someone put peanut butter and chocolate together in one bite-sized package, Hollywood and Catholic Women: Virgins, Whores, Mothers, and Other Images was born.

Why should a group of nuns who have escaped East Germany need the help of a wandering handyman to build a chapel? How is it that the brutal murder of a whore can trigger the redemption of an ambitious priest? And why can’t Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby live the religious life, side by side, happily ever after? Both entertaining and insightful, Hollywood and Catholic Women addresses important questions about women in the Church and women in Hollywood and should spark lively debate.

Kathryn Schleich discovered her passion for writing in her teens and has been published both regionally and nationally. Her interest in the portrayal of women in the media, her love of film, and conversion to Catholicism as an adult were the impetus for this work.

For an excerpt from Hollywood and Catholic Women, click on Excerpt.

 

Hollywood and Catholic Women: Virgins, Whores, Mothers, and Other Images; Format: Paperback; Size : 6 x 9; Pages: 126; ISBN: 0-595-30303-X; Published: 11/03; Price: $13.95 US, $18.95 Canada

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Purchase the Book

Hollywood and Catholic Women may be purchased directly through iUniverse by calling 1-877-823-9235 for Customer Service. The book may also be purchased off the web site at www.iuniverse.com. Once on the site, enter Hollywood and Catholic Women in a title search or the ISBN number and follow the purchase instructions.

If you know of others who are interested in the topic, please tell them about Hollywood and Catholic Women. Thank you for your interest and enjoy!

If you’ve read Hollywood and Catholic Women and would like to comment send us an e-mail via kathrynschlei777@yahoo.com  and tell us what you think. Please indicate if your comments may be posted under the Reviews link of the site for others to view.

 

Kathryn Schleich © 2006 
10220 Country Club Curve
Woodbury, MN 55129

kathrynschlei777@yahoo.com

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