▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁obst et rics . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁articles ▁that ▁question ed ▁and ▁critic ized ▁specific ▁activities ▁and ▁goals ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Card inal ▁Francis ▁Sp ell man , ▁the ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁press ured ▁New ▁York ▁school ▁libraries ▁to ▁cancel ▁subscri ptions ▁to ▁The ▁Nation , ▁an ▁action ▁den ounced ▁by ▁Ele an or ▁Ro ose vel t . ▁The ▁series ▁of ▁articles ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁book ▁published ▁by ▁Be acon ▁Press ▁in ▁their ▁book ▁series ▁entitled ▁Series ▁in ▁Fre edom ▁and ▁Power . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁and ▁criticism ▁When ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁released , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁refused ▁to ▁accept ▁advert ising ▁for ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁many ▁book st ores ▁refused ▁to ▁carry ▁it . ▁However , ▁the ▁book ▁sold ▁ 2 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁copies ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁edition . ▁It ▁was ▁pra ised ▁by ▁John ▁De we y , ▁Albert ▁Ein stein , ▁Ber tr and ▁Russell , ▁Henry ▁Slo ane ▁C off in , ▁and ▁Hor ace ▁K allen ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁scholar ly ▁review ers . ▁A ▁work ▁of ▁re but tal , ▁Catholic ism ▁and ▁American ▁Fre edom ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁James ▁M . ▁O ' Ne ill ▁and ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁Bl ans hard ' s ▁rejo inder ▁to ▁O ' Ne ill ▁and ▁others ▁was ▁the ▁pam ph let ▁My