New Books Network Steven J. Brady, "Less Than Victory: American Catholics and the Vietnam War" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Jan 13, 2026
Dr. Steven J. Brady, a history professor at George Washington University and author, dives deep into how the Vietnam War shaped American Catholics and vice versa. He reveals the complex moral debates within the Catholic community, contrasting views on war's moral implications. Brady highlights early dissenters like Dorothy Day, the proactive involvement in civil disobedience, and the connection between anti-war sentiments and the abortion debate. He also touches on the lasting impacts on Catholic peace activism, hinting at his next project on Adlai Stevenson.
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War Debate Was Messy And Moral
- Catholic debate on Vietnam was messy and three-cornered, not simply pro- or anti-war.
- Catholics foregrounded moral arguments about the war from the start rather than only prudential concerns.
Refugee Exodus Fueled Catholic Commitment
- The 1954 exodus of mostly Catholic Vietnamese galvanized U.S. Catholics into deep investment in South Vietnam's survival.
- American Catholics saw South Vietnam as essential to preserving Catholic practice in East Asia and backed anti-communist policies.
Draft Card Burning By A Catholic Worker
- David Miller, a 22-year-old Catholic Worker, burned his draft card publicly in October 1965 and became the first to do so after it was made illegal.
- He received a three-year prison sentence, signaling early Catholic civil disobedience in the antiwar movement.
