Thomas Verner Moore

Thomas Verner Moore (1877-1969)-priest, author, teacher and practical psychiatrist-was one of the first advocates of modern psychology among Roman Catholics in the United States. In this fascinating biography Benedict Neenan brings to life this man of staggering accomplishments and recounts the many twists and turns he took in the search for his professional and spiritual development.

Skillfully intertwining the dramatic interaction between Moore's intense activism and his deeply felt need for contemplation and asceticism, Neenan points out the many paradoxes and tensions of his rich and eventful life. For example, Moore started out in his adult religious life as a member of one of the most progressive and distinctly American religious communities, the Paulists, and ended it as a member of one of the most traditional orders, the Carthusians.

Besides detailing the life of this accomplished man, this work offers a glimpse into American Catholic life American social life in the first half of the twentieth century.