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Catholicism and Democracy: An Essay in the History of Political Thought
How the Catholic Church redefined its relationship to the state in the wake of the French Revolution
Catholicism and Democracy is a history of Catholic political thinking from the French Revolution to the present day. Emile Perreau-Saussine investigates the church's response to liberal democracy, a political system for which the church was utterly unprepared.
Looking at leading philosophers and political theologians―among them Joseph de Maistre, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Charles Péguy―Perreau-Saussine shows how the church redefined its relationship to the state in the long wake of the French Revolution. Disenfranchised by the fall of the monarchy, the church in France at first embraced that most conservative of ideologies, "ultramontanism" (an emphasis on the central role of the papacy). Catholics whose church had lost its national status henceforth looked to the papacy for spiritual authority. Perreau-Saussine argues that this move paradoxically combined a fundamental repudiation of the liberal political order with an implicit acknowledgment of one of its core principles, the autonomy of the church from the state. However, as Perreau-Saussine shows, in the context of twentieth-century totalitarianism, the Catholic Church retrieved elements of its Gallican heritage and came to embrace another liberal (and Gallican) principle, the autonomy of the state from the church, for the sake of its corollary, freedom of religion. Perreau-Saussine concludes that Catholics came to terms with liberal democracy, though not without abiding concerns about the potential of that system to compromise freedom of religion in the pursuit of other goals.
Catholicism and Democracy is a history of Catholic political thinking from the French Revolution to the present day. Emile Perreau-Saussine investigates the church's response to liberal democracy, a political system for which the church was utterly unprepared.
Looking at leading philosophers and political theologians―among them Joseph de Maistre, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Charles Péguy―Perreau-Saussine shows how the church redefined its relationship to the state in the long wake of the French Revolution. Disenfranchised by the fall of the monarchy, the church in France at first embraced that most conservative of ideologies, "ultramontanism" (an emphasis on the central role of the papacy). Catholics whose church had lost its national status henceforth looked to the papacy for spiritual authority. Perreau-Saussine argues that this move paradoxically combined a fundamental repudiation of the liberal political order with an implicit acknowledgment of one of its core principles, the autonomy of the church from the state. However, as Perreau-Saussine shows, in the context of twentieth-century totalitarianism, the Catholic Church retrieved elements of its Gallican heritage and came to embrace another liberal (and Gallican) principle, the autonomy of the state from the church, for the sake of its corollary, freedom of religion. Perreau-Saussine concludes that Catholics came to terms with liberal democracy, though not without abiding concerns about the potential of that system to compromise freedom of religion in the pursuit of other goals.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published January 23, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 25, 2018
This book's title is a bit of a misnomer; the author looks at Catholicism and democracy exclusively in France. He traces the history of Church and State in France from the late 17th century through the present, particularly looking at the French Revolution and subsequent counterrevolutions. The writing is very dense, and a little hard to follow in some places. However, I learned a lot about the history of Catholicism in France, particularly how it was in many ways more nuanced than what I learned in history class. I was a bit disappointed that the author didn't bring the book all the way up to the present day by considering how growing religious pluralism and a drop-off in interest in Catholicism among the younger generation in the contemporary period has impacted the French Church.
January 23, 2023
MacIntyre's (touching) foreword says it all: "required reading."
Even if he said "required reading for Catholic Theologians," it applies to any theologian, I think. This book would be especially helpful for Christians who want more clarity on not only political issues, but cultural issues.
Joseph de Maistre is big on the Christian Right currently, and this book offers an important contextualization of Maistre that basically functions as a critique.
Even if I don't agree with everything in the book, it's excellent. Would highly recommend.
Looking forward to reading EPS's biography of MacIntyre.
Even if he said "required reading for Catholic Theologians," it applies to any theologian, I think. This book would be especially helpful for Christians who want more clarity on not only political issues, but cultural issues.
Joseph de Maistre is big on the Christian Right currently, and this book offers an important contextualization of Maistre that basically functions as a critique.
Even if I don't agree with everything in the book, it's excellent. Would highly recommend.
Looking forward to reading EPS's biography of MacIntyre.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews