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God and Man at Georgetown Prep

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God and Man at Georgetown Prep
God and Man at Georgetown Prep
AuthorMark Gauvreau Judge
SubjectCatholic school
Alcoholism
Binge drinking
Hookup culture
GenreMemoir
Published2005
PublisherCrossroad Publishing Company
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePaperback
Pages182
ISBN978-0824523138
OCLC58546219
Preceded byDamn Senators (2003) 
Followed byA Tremor of Bliss (2010) 
[1][2][3][4][5][6]

God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling is a 2005 memoir about Catholic school, alcoholism, binge drinking, and hookup culture at Georgetown Preparatory School, written by Mark Gauvreau Judge.[7][8] The name of the book is a reference to conservative writer William F. Buckley Jr.'s 1951 college memoir God and Man at Yale. Judge had previously written a 1997 memoir about the same institution, Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk.[9][10] He would go on to publish a third book about Catholicism in 2010, A Tremor of Bliss.[11]

The author details rampant alcohol abuse at Georgetown Preparatory School, including downing beers with a music teacher from the school, while the teacher was entertained by a stripper.[7][8][12] The author recounts a "100 Kegs or Bust" challenge, where the goal was to consume 100 kegs of beer before the end of the school year.[13][14] Judge chronicles his exit from religiousness, followed by a return to Catholicism later in life.[3][4] He criticizes those who diverge from traditional Catholicism and advocates for a return to more stringent religious practices.[3]

Judge's book garnered reviews from multiple publications including Publishers Weekly,[1] First Things,[2] Christianity Today,[3] and the National Catholic Register.[4] Publishers Weekly called the book "a humorous, edgy look" at the author's Catholic school experiences.[1] First Things called it "a compelling account".[2] Christianity Today recommended the book as "a model for an intellectual life".[3] National Catholic Register characterized the work as a "wonderful and ultimately hopeful book".[4] Jerry Oppenheimer wrote in his 2015 book, RFK Jr. that Judge's book significantly affected Georgetown Preparatory School.[15] Oppenheimer commented that the book "caused quite a storm", due to its revelation by Judge that "alcoholism was rampant" at the school.[15]

God and Man at Georgetown Prep received increased attention in 2018 during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination in the wake of statements by psychologist Christine Blasey Ford that implicated Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge in possible sexual assault.[16][17][18] Demand for Judge's work significantly increased after reporting by The Washington Post on his books and the statements by Ford.[19] The price of the book rose to US$550 in Internet purchases.[19] In the wake of the increased attention to student alcohol consumption, the president of Georgetown Preparatory School released a public letter saying he was trying to change the situation.[20]

Contents summary

[edit]

God and Man at Georgetown Prep examines the author's trials and travails at three different well-respected Catholic educational institutions in the United States.[4][21][1] Judge discusses how his initial education in multiple Catholic schools motivated him to wish to become less religious in nature.[4][2] He circles back to religion later in life, and discusses how he eventually found a renewed strength in Catholicism.[4][2] The author recounts the religiousness of his father, Joseph Judge.[4][2] Judge discusses a broken road of various mistakes made throughout his lifetime, which in the end brought him back to Catholicism as his choice of how to practice his faith.[4][2]

Georgetown Preparatory School in 2009

The author criticizes what he views as a form of atheism through non-religious practice of Catholicism among Christians in the American middle class.[3] Judge explains his perspective that the Catholic faith he observed being taught in Catholic schools from his youth in the 1970s had been unnecessarily simplified from its traditional moorings.[3] He laments that at Georgetown Preparatory School during his time as a student there, the faculty appeared to embrace sexuality and New Age views in favor of Catholic doctrine.[3] Judge writes that the faculty at Georgetown Prep contained a multitude of homosexual priests.[15][22][5]

God and Man at Georgetown Prep details an atmosphere of unmonitored copious alcohol consumption among members of the student body at Georgetown Preparatory School.[23][22][24] The book recounts how the author published the school's underground newspaper that had information on wild parties.[7][8][13] The paper was distributed among students at Georgetown Preparatory School, and entitled, The Unknown Hoya, also released under the title The Heretic.[13] In one periodical, the newspaper showed an image of a music teacher attending a bachelor party.[7][13] According to Judge, the music teacher was shown, "chugging a beer, surrounded by a group of us with raised mugs, sitting down while being entertained by the stripper."[7][8][12] The author admits that at Georgetown Preparatory School, the students "partied with gusto–often right under the noses of our teachers".[8] The author recounts a "100-Keg Quest" also known as "100 Kegs or Bust" in the book, an attempt during his time at Georgetown Preparatory School to have consumed 100 kegs of beer by the end of the school year.[13][14] Judge states that his and his fellow students' attempt to reach the 100 kegs of beer challenge resulted in a "disastrous" drinking incident "at my house where the place was trashed".[14]

The author extends to a critique of his time at Catholic University of America as a baccalaureate student.[4][3] Similar to his writings about Georgetown Preparatory School, Judge criticizes his university for eschewing traditional Catholic doctrine in favor of newer views such as those who advocated an ability to oppose a ban on birth control.[3] Judge writes that these views are a form of apostasy.[3]

Judge traces his career as a journalist after obtaining his undergraduate degree.[3] He cites the impact of his early success, publishing articles on society, belief, and culture for In These Times, The Progressive, and The Washington Post.[3] Unfortunately, although he writes that he achieves early success as a journalist, at the same time Judge was suffering from negative impacts of alcoholism.[3] He attributes his ability to overcome alcoholism to Alcoholics Anonymous, later also criticizing the organization for its casting off of its original influences from Christianity.[3]

After the author's father passes away from cancer, Judge explains this motivated him to return to his original faith and religion of Catholicism.[4][3] Judge explains his period of religious renewal, writing, "My father had been dead for several months before it dawned on me that he'd been a Catholic."[3] The author recounts reading the collected books on Catholicism previously owned by his father, including writings by Dietrich von Hildebrand, Joseph Pieper, Jacques Maritain, and G.K. Chesterton.[4][3] The author realizes what he was missing from his experiences at three Catholic schools, writing, "I am a member of a generation of Catholics raised after Vatican II who was cheated out of a Catholic education."[3]

Composition and publication

[edit]

Prior to writing God and Man at Georgetown Prep, Judge had worked as a journalist in his early twenties.[25] He was a freelance writer in 1989 in the Washington, D.C. area.[26] Judge received his bachelor of arts degree from Catholic University of America in 1990.[21][27] By 1990 he had become a contributor to The Progressive, In These Times, and Sojourners.[28] Judge briefly taught at Georgetown University, but left in the 1990s.[7][12] Before publishing God and Man at Georgetown Prep, Judge had written a previous book on the subject of alcoholism at the same school, Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk.[9][25][10] Judge published God and Man at Georgetown Prep in 2005.[7][29] The book was released in a print format by Crossroad Publishing Company.[30][31] It was published in eBook format the same year.[32] Judge's subsequent book on the same topic of Catholicism and religious practice, A Tremor of Bliss: Sex, Catholicism, and Rock 'n' Roll, was published in 2010.[11][33]

Critical reception

[edit]

Publishers Weekly called the book, "a humorous, edgy look at his experiences in three prestigious U.S. Catholic schools."[1] First Things reviewed the book, and called it a "compelling account".[2] The religious journal concluded, "God and Man at Georgetown Prep is warmly recommended for young people, their parents and teachers".[2]

Christianity Today published a book review of Judge's work, and observed, "In God and Man at Georgetown Prep, Mark Gauvreau Judge writes as a survivor not of abuse, but of neglect."[3] The book review drew comparisons to God and Man at Yale by William F. Buckley.[3] Christianity Today concluded, "Catholics and non-Catholics alike will find in his account a model for an intellectual life firmly rooted in the particularities of one faith tradition, yet determined to speak to the world in a common language."[3]

National Catholic Register found Judge's writing to be too vague, commenting, "There are too many theories and too little space."[4] The reviewer lamented the author had found no true religious meaning from his early Catholic upbringing.[4] The book review observed, "Judge has written an autobiography that is part Thomas Merton, part Augustine with a rock and roll beat in the background."[4] National Catholic Register worried the author's views echoed those of others who had also become less religious since their initial Catholic upbringing, "Sadly, his story–laid out in painful detail in this wonderful and ultimately hopeful book—differs little from that of millions of baby-boomer Catholics."[4] The Washington Times commented, "Some authors try to separate themselves from their arguments. Mr. Judge's books tend toward the confessional."[11] God and Man at Georgetown Prep received a book review in Crisis Magazine.[6]

Jerry Oppenheimer wrote in his 2015 book RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream that Judge's book affected the educational institution of Georgetown Preparatory School itself: "It caused quite a storm, especially among the alumni and administration going back decades, because Judge, a conservative Catholic, had alleged that 'alcoholism was rampant' among the 'left-wing Jesuits' and claimed that the school had been a hotbed of 'rampant homosexuality.' Half of the faculty, he asserted, 'was gay.'"[15]

God and Man at Georgetown Prep received increased attention in 2018 during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination, in the wake of statements by psychologist Christine Blasey Ford that implicated Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge in possible sexual assault.[16][17][18] Judge wrote to the U.S. Senate to say he had "no memory" of the incident described by Ford.[34][35][36] Judge said he did not wish to testify.[37][38][39] God and Man at Georgetown Prep and the author's previous book about the same educational institution, Wasted, were highlighted in The Washington Post after the statements by Ford.[19][40] Multiple U.S. Senators acquired copies of Judge's books on his time with Kavanuagh at Georgetown Preparatory School, to prepare for questioning of Kavanaugh and Ford before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.[41] Both the demand for Judge's work in light of the comments by Ford, in addition to the reporting by The Washington Post, drove renewed interest in works by the author about his time at Georgetown Preparatory School.[19][40] Demand for God and Man at Georgetown Prep, drove the price of the book up to US$550 online.[19][40] James Van Dyke, the president of Georgetown Preparatory School, released a public letter after reporting on Judge and Kavanaugh and the history of alcoholic drinking at the educational institution, stating he was attempting to change the culture at the school.[20]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Dahlin, Robert; Hix, Charles (February 11, 2005), "Spring/Summer Religion Books – Book Review: God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling", Publishers Weekly, retrieved September 19, 2018
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling by Mark Gauvreau Judge", First Things (155): 65, August 2005 – via EBSCO Information Services
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Shannon, Christopher (May 2006), "Books and Culture: A Christian Review – Recovering Catholic: A squandered heritage regained.", Christianity Today, retrieved September 21, 2018
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p McCloskey, John (October 2, 2005), "God and Man at Georgetown Prep by Mark G. Judge – published by Crossroad Publishing, NY, 2005 A Book Review by Father John McCloskey", National Catholic Register, ISSN 0027-8920, retrieved September 19, 2018
  5. ^ a b Duin, Julia (April 19, 2006), "Prep school concedes to abuse charge", The Washington Times, p. B3 – via InfoTrac
  6. ^ a b "God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling by Mark Gauvreau Judge", Crisis Magazine: A Voice for the Faithful Catholic Laity, 24, Brownson Institute, Incorporated: 48–50, 2006
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Selk, Avi (September 17, 2018), "What the man accused of being part of Kavanaugh's alleged sexual assault had to say about women's sexuality", The Washington Post, retrieved September 18, 2018
  8. ^ a b c d e Da Silva, Chantal (September 18, 2018), "Who is Mark Judge? Kavanaugh classmate describes 'swimming in alcohol' at high school parties", Newsweek, retrieved September 23, 2018
  9. ^ a b Maas, Peter (September 22, 2018), "Mark Judge's memoir about Brett Kavanaugh's high school portrays a culture of aggression and excessive drinking", The Intercept, retrieved September 22, 2018
  10. ^ a b Newman, Michael (June 29, 1997), "Wasted: Tales of a Gen-X Drunk. By Mark Gauvreau Judge. Hazelden.", The New York Times, p. BR20, retrieved September 19, 2018
  11. ^ a b c Lott, Jeremy (November 9, 2010), "Book Review: Call for a Catholic sexual counterrevolution", The Washington Times, p. B4, retrieved September 19, 2018
  12. ^ a b c Velshi, Ali; Ruhle, Stephanie (September 19, 2018), Who Is Brett Kavanaugh's Friend, Mark Judge? (video), MSNBC, retrieved September 22, 2018 – via YouTube
  13. ^ a b c d e Landers, Elizabeth (September 22, 2018), The 100-keg quest: Kavanaugh classmate Mark Judge details senior year at Georgetown Prep, CNN, retrieved September 23, 2018
  14. ^ a b c Palmer, Anna; Sherman, Jake; Lippman, Daniel (September 22, 2018), "Hold-your-breath Saturday", Politico, retrieved September 23, 2018
  15. ^ a b c d Oppenheimer, Jerry (2015), RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream, St. Martin's Press, p. 17, ISBN 978-1250032959, In 2005, Mark Judge, a journalist who had graduated from Georgetown Prep in the 1980s, wrote a book about his time there, entitled God and Man at Georgetown Prep. It caused quite a storm, especially among the alumni and administration going back decades, because Judge, a conservative Catholic, had alleged that 'alcoholism was rampant' among the 'left-wing Jesuits' and claimed that the school had been a hotbed of 'rampant homosexuality.' Half of the faculty, he asserted, 'was gay.'
  16. ^ a b Stahl, Jeremy (September 18, 2018), "Mark Judge Must Be Called to the Stand", Slate, retrieved September 21, 2018
  17. ^ a b Paul, Deanna (September 21, 2018), "Kavanaugh's accuser might be better off with a criminal trial. So might Kavanaugh.", The Washington Post, retrieved September 21, 2018
  18. ^ a b "Privileged information: Will what happened at Georgetown Prep stay there?", The New Zealand Herald, September 21, 2018, archived from the original on November 12, 2010, retrieved September 21, 2018
  19. ^ a b c d e Cummings, William (September 19, 2018), "Buy Kavanaugh classmate Mark Judge's book about Georgetown Prep for $550", USA Today, retrieved September 21, 2018
  20. ^ a b Stableford, Dylan (September 21, 2018), "Georgetown Prep president says school has been soul-searching in wake of Kavanaugh allegations", Yahoo News, retrieved September 21, 2018
  21. ^ a b "Alumni Report", Catholic University of America Magazine, Catholic University of America, Spring 2006, retrieved September 21, 2018, Mark Gauvreau Judge, B.A. 1990, of Potomac, Md., is the author of God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling (Crossroad Publishing Co., 2005). In the book he shares his experiences at three Catholic schools.
  22. ^ a b Papenfuss, Mary (September 17, 2018), "Kavanaugh High School Pal Writes in Memoir Of Being Wild Drunk With Girls", HuffPost, retrieved September 23, 2018
  23. ^ Mencimer, Stephanie (September 15, 2018), "Brett Kavanaugh's High School Friend Isn't Helping the Nominee's Case", Mother Jones, retrieved September 21, 2018
  24. ^ Turley, Jonathan (September 17, 2018), "Hypocrisy in Kavanaugh case enough to set off alarms in DC", The Hill, retrieved September 23, 2018
  25. ^ a b Barr, Elizabeth (June 29, 1997), "A Pampered Boy's Life, As Seen Through a Buzz (book review)", The Buffalo News, p. G7 – via NewsBank
  26. ^ Judge, Mark G. (January 1989), "Censors at Work", The Progressive, vol. 53, no. 1, p. 40 – via ProQuest, Mark G. Judge is a free-lance writer in Washington, D.C.
  27. ^ Judge, Mark Gauvreau (Spring 2005), "My Favorite Teacher: Brashness + Tradition", Catholic University of America Magazine, Catholic University of America, archived from the original on March 16, 2016, retrieved September 21, 2018, Mark Gauvreau Judge, B.A. 1990, has written four books, most recently Damn Senators: My Grandfather and the Story of Washington's Only World Series Championship (Encounter Books, 2003) and God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling (Crossroad, 2005). His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Weekly Standard. Pictured are Judge and his father Joe Judge, B.A. 1950, LL.D. 1988, in a photo taken in the mid-1990s.
  28. ^ Judge, Mark G. (December 1990), "Books: Seeing Anew", The Progressive, vol. 54, no. 12, p. 40, Mark G. Judge has contributed to Sojourners, and In These Times as well as The Progressive.
  29. ^ Duin, Julia (April 19, 2006), "Prep school concedes to abuse charge", The Washington Times, p. B3 – via InfoTrac
  30. ^ Judge, Mark Gauvreau (2005), God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling, Crossroad Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0824523138
  31. ^ "God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling", WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, 2005, OCLC 58546219, retrieved September 21, 2018
  32. ^ "God and Man at Georgetown Prep: How I Became a Catholic Despite 20 Years of Catholic Schooling", WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, 2005, OCLC 1035526781, retrieved September 21, 2018
  33. ^ Judge, Mark (2010). A Tremor of Bliss: Sex, Catholicism, and Rock 'n' Roll. Doubleday Religion. ISBN 978-0385519205.
  34. ^ Brook, Tom Vanden (September 21, 2018), "Kavanaugh's prep school culture nurtures high achievers, fosters darker impulses, grads say", USA Today, retrieved September 21, 2018
  35. ^ Stern, Michael J. (September 21, 2018), "Why isn't Mark Judge testifying about Kavanaugh? He is an alleged witness", The Guardian, retrieved September 21, 2018
  36. ^ Ward, Stephanie Francis (September 19, 2018), "Do better than 1991, Anita Hill writes about Kavanaugh confirmation hearings", ABA Journal, retrieved September 21, 2018
  37. ^ Howard, Jacqueline (September 19, 2018), "Kavanaugh: What studies say about alcohol, memory loss", KVIA, CNN, retrieved September 21, 2018[permanent dead link‍]
  38. ^ Hohmann, James (September 19, 2018), "The Daily 202: Senate Republicans playing hardball with accuser in push to swiftly confirm Kavanaugh", Danbury News Times, retrieved September 21, 2018
  39. ^ "Kavanaugh Accuser Wants FBI Investigation Before She Will Testify", Independent Journal Review, Reuters, September 19, 2018, archived from the original on September 21, 2018, retrieved September 21, 2018
  40. ^ a b c Buy Kavanaugh classmate Mark Judge's book about Georgetown Prep for $550, WGRZ, September 19, 2018, retrieved September 21, 2018[permanent dead link‍]
  41. ^ Dickerson, John (September 23, 2018), "What are the repercussions of a potential Kavanaugh, Ford open hearing?", Face the Nation (video), CBS, event occurs at 6:03, retrieved September 23, 2018
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