This book is on my Wish list on amazon.
http://breauxclassroom.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/how_to_read_literature_like_a_professor2.docIts outline shows how religious allegories permeate our thoughts.
Another thought I had was to investigate what the Catholic Church is doing socially now, rather than researching its historical development. But I googled, and you'll have to find a different source besides the Internet. I was thinking about explaining whatever good social policies the church stands for. And explaining that common stories are a way to discuss deep universal ideas with each other. (see the link) Hey, subtext is scholarly, ain't it?!
