HIST4244 · History

Global Political Catholicism

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

This class asks the question, "What has led to the creation and historical persistence of Catholic mass politics?" It begins its historical perspective in modernity, anchored by the publication of the social encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891) and ending with Catholic policy in the Obama Administration. We will look at how political parties, movements, and theologians interacted with the Vatican and the wider church. The European Church's phenomenon of "clerico-fascism" during the World War II era will be investigated. Regionally, we will look at how Catholicism has shaped political activism in China, Latin America, Europe, and the United States.