The French Revolution ushered in the implementation of a new political philosophy, liberalism, that had been developing for several centuries, particularly during the Enlightenment. The Gospel and the Catholic Church were out as the foundation of the social order; reason, sealed off from Revelation and classical realism, was in. Churches and organised religion would be treated as private associations. Government would purportedly maximize and safeguard the individual’s freedom of conscience and choice. In short, liberalism and Catholicism stood in opposition and were on a collision course. On the one hand, liberal governments and movements in Europe and Latin America set about dismantling the remnants of Christendom, not only removing the Church’s privileges but often suppressing its legitimate freedoms and institutions as well. On the other hand, Catholic political thinkers disagreed about how the Church should respond to these radical social transformations, while the Popes tended to favour monarchies over republics. Studying the nineteenth-century conflict between Catholicism and liberalism is important for understanding the historical background of modern Catholic social teaching and some ongoing debates. In this interview, Dr. Darrick Taylor discusses his pick of the five best books on this area of Church history.

Darrick Taylor teaches Humanities at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. He  earned his PhD in British History from the University of Kansas. He also produces a podcast, Controversies in Church History, which dives into important and sensitive issues in the history of the Catholic Church.

Five Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.

1. The Church in the Age of Liberalism edited by Hubert Jedin and John Dolan
2. Liberalism and Tradition: Aspects of Catholic Thought in Nineteenth Century France by Bernard M. Reardon
3. Culture Wars: Secular-Catholic Conflict in Nineteenth Century Europe edited by Christopher Clark and Wolfram Keiser
4. The War Against Catholicism: the Anti-Catholic Imagination in Nineteenth Century Germany by Michael Gross
5. The Great Crisis in Catholic American History: 1895-1900 by Thomas T. McAvoy...and two extra recommendations...
6. The Religious History of Modern France by Adrien Dansette
7. Nineteenth-Century Europe by Michael Rapport

Read the interview at ⁠https://www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/19th-century-catholicism-and-liberalism

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