Rövid leírás:

Written by a leading historian of contemporary Catholicism, this book examines a series of case studies from different parts of the world, selected because of the central role played by the Catholic religion.

Hosszú leírás:

Catholics and Political Violence in the Twentieth Century presents a historical reconstruction of the ways in which Catholics have justified the recourse to political violence during the twentieth century, a period marked by major wars, nationalisms, decolonization, ideological clashes, and episodes of genocide. Legitimation processes are particularly complex when this violence is not endorsed by the state, and perhaps used against it. Depending on perspective, the protagonists of this radical form of collective action may be seen as ?terrorists? or ?freedom fighters?.

Written by a leading historian of contemporary Catholicism, this book examines a series of case studies from different parts of the world, selected because of the central role played by the Catholic religion. They range from Northern Ireland to the Basque Country, from the Philippines to Colombia, and from Mexico to Rwanda. It highlights how theological sources, paradigms of martyrdom, and symbols of the Christian tradition have provided a catalogue of reasons to give moral value to violence and promote it in the name of God.

By looking at the history of Catholicism in global terms and adopting a transnational perspective, Catholics and Political Violence in the Twentieth Century sheds a critical light on the themes that are crucial to understanding the relationship between religion and violence. It will appeal to scholars and students working and studying in the fields of Modern and Contemporary History, Religious Studies, Terrorism Studies, Cultural and Global Studies, Intellectual History, and the History of Political Thought.

Tartalomjegyzék:

Introduction

1. The mystique of sacrifice and political violence

Passion and resurrection in Ireland

Doctrine, public opinion, and politics

A war waged by saints

Squadrismo, violence, and obedience

2. Tradition and rebellion in Mexico

Against the secular state

Hard-line rebels

?Cristeros?

In defence of the faith

3. Sacralized insurrection

Crusade and terror in Spain

A universal struggle in a national battleground

The Church in combat

El derecho a la rebeldía

Holy war and the Holy Office

4. Revolution and incitement to hatred: the deliberations of Rome during total war

The battle between devils

The truly Catholic war

The heresy of hatred

5. Holy war during the Cold War

Not revolution, but war

A crusade to save Hungary?

Global mobilization

Discrimination and disadvantage

6. Latin America and revolution as an obligation

Armed charity from sociology to guerrilla warfare

Transatlantic circulation of ideas

Theology and revolution

Violence by the peace-lovers and the mystique of guerrilla warfare

From liberation to human rights

7. Words and deeds

The increasing disconnection

A Catholic element in the origins of the Red Brigades?

Division and infiltration

The beginning of the end

The ?Sands bomb?

8. Rwanda: colonialism and its legacy

A ?Catholic country? in central Africa

The Church during the revolution

Construction of ?the enemy within?

Complicity and silence

9. The end of the revolution?

Rosaries, not bullets: the Aquino ?miracl? in the Philippines

Lights in the East and the ?morality of means?

Ambivalende and the peace process in the Basque Country

Democracy and policies of terror: Peru?s tragic twenty years

Armed for life: anti-abortion attacks in the United States

Conclusions