Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859) published Democracy in America after visiting the United States in the 1830s. Among other things, the 19th-century French political thinker predicted that as young country matured, it would either become irreligious or Roman Catholic. “America is the most democratic country in the world, and it is … the country in which the Roman Catholic religion makes most progress,” he wrote. But “men living in democratic ages are … very prone to shake off all religious authority.”

Originally published in Integrity Magazine. Read original article

Original Tags: Church History, Culture, Alexis de Tocqueville, United States, US Catholicism