This book is unique in recording the history of all the Protestant churches in Ireland in the twentieth century, though with particular focus on the two largest - the Presbyterian and the Church of Ireland. It examines the changes and chances in those churches during a turbulent period in Irish history, relating their development to the wider social and political context. Their structures and beliefs are examined, and their influence both in Ireland and overseas is assessed.
The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive explanation of the origins, development and decline of vocationalism in twentieth-century Ireland. Vocationalism, based on papal social teaching, featured prominently in social Catholicism through the 1930s and 40s. The vocationalist lobby demanded radical reforms which, if realized, would have replaced the political, economic and social structure of Irish national life with corporatist organizations based on Roman Catholic social principles. In the newly independent southern Irish state, with its large Catholic majority, vocationalism attracted significant support and the extent of its popular appeal in the 1930s is reflected by the inclusion of vocationalist provisions in the Constitution of Ireland (1937). The popularization of vocationalist ideas occurred against a background of momentous political developments. Popularization, however, did not lead to spontaneous proliferation and growth of vocational organizations. Despite the difficulties which confronted them, the vocationalists persisted with their demands, attempting to persuade successive Irish governments to implement their recommendations. This book examines the outcome of their protracted campaign, focusing in particular on the attitude of Ã?Â?Ã?Â?amon de Valera.
By examinng education, charity, community discipline, the relationship between clergy and congregations, and working-class religion, the contributors shift the field of religious history into the realm of the socio-cultural. This novel perspective reveals that the Christian churches remained dynamic and popular in English and French Canada, as well as among immigrants, well into the twentieth century.
The first comprehensive history of the Vatican’s agenda to defeat the forces of secular liberalism and communism through international law, cultural diplomacy, and a marriage of convenience with authoritarian and right-wing rulers. After the United States entered World War I and the Russian Revolution exploded, the Vatican felt threatened by forces eager to reorganize the European international order and cast the Church out of the public sphere. In response, the papacy partnered with fascist and right-wing states as part of a broader crusade that made use of international law and cultural diplomacy to protect European countries from both liberal and socialist taint. A Twentieth-Century Crusade reveals that papal officials opposed Woodrow Wilson’s international liberal agenda by pressing governments to sign concordats assuring state protection of the Church in exchange for support from the masses of Catholic citizens. These agreements were implemented in Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, as well as in countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. In tandem, the papacy forged a Catholic International—a political and diplomatic foil to the Communist International—which spread a militant anticommunist message through grassroots organizations and new media outlets. It also suppressed Catholic antifascist tendencies, even within the Holy See itself. Following World War II, the Church attempted to mute its role in strengthening fascist states, as it worked to advance its agenda in partnership with Christian Democratic parties and a generation of Cold War warriors. The papal mission came under fire after Vatican II, as Church-state ties weakened and antiliberalism and anticommunism lost their appeal. But—as Giuliana Chamedes shows in her groundbreaking exploration—by this point, the Vatican had already made a lasting mark on Eastern and Western European law, culture, and society.
This book examines the mechanisms of the Irish revolutionary Fenian Brotherhood in the early years of its existence. Drawing on a wide range of material from places as diverse as Rome and Toronto it seeks to set the Fenian struggle within the context of competing church and state influence in mid-nineteenth century Irish society. It is particularly strong on the transatlantic comparative dimensions of church, state and Fenian activity, and demonstrates how the Fenians managed to change, forever, the terms of Irish political and social debate.
A detailed look at the history of Christian fundamentalism in the United Kingdom during the twentieth-century, examining the inter-relation between fundamentalism and evangelical theology. Using detailed empirical evidence the authors challenge generalisations and enable a more nuanced understanding of the roots of fundamentalism today.
The dramatic social, cultural, and political changes in the twentieth century posed challenges and opportunities to Christian believers in Britain and Ireland: many, whether in the churches or among the laity, sought to adapt their faith to what was seen as a new, “modern” world fundamentally different than the one in which Christianity had risen to a position of institutional and cultural dominance. Alongside the more long-term processes of industrialisation, urbanisation, and democratisation, the formative experiences of war and post-war reconstruction, confrontations with totalitarianism, changing relations between the sexes, and engagements with an increasingly assertive “secular” culture inspired many Christians not only to reconsider their faith but also to try to influence the emerging modernity. The chapters in this volume address various specific topics – from mass politics to sexuality – but are linked by a stress on how Christians played active roles in building “modern” life in twentieth-century Britain and Ireland. Tensions and ambiguities between “religious” and “secular” and between “modern” and “traditional” make understanding Christian encounters with modernity a valuable topic in the exploration of the complexities of twentieth-century cultural and intellectual history. This book will be of great value to students and scholars in the fields of history including modern British history, religion, and the intersectionality of gender and religion. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Contemporary British History.
What does religion mean to modern Ireland and what is its recent social and political history? The Oxford Handbook of Religion in Modern Ireland provides in-depth analysis of the relationships between religion, society, politics, and everyday life on the island of Ireland from 1800 to the twenty-first century. Taking a chronological and all-island approach, it explores the complex and changing role of religion both before and after partition. The handbook's thirty-two chapters address long-standing historical and political debates about religion, identity, and politics, including religion's contributions to division and violence. They also offer perspectives on how religion interacts with education, the media, law, gender and sexuality, science, literature, and memory. Whilst providing insight into how everyday religious practices have intersected with the institutional structures of Catholicism and Protestantism, the book also examines the island's increasing religious diversity, including the rise of those with 'no religion'. Written by leading scholars in the field and emerging researchers with new perspectives, this is an authoritative and up-to-date volume that offers a wide-ranging and comprehensive survey of the enduring significance of religion on the island.
Charting the growing religious pluralism of British society, this book investigates the diverse formations of masculinity within and across specific religions, regions and immigrant communities. Contributors look beyond conventional realms of worship to examine men's diverse religious cultures in a variety of contexts.
