Clerical Fascism in Interwar Europe (Totalitarianism Movements and Political Religions)

This edited volume arose from an international workshop convened in 2006 by Feldman and Turda with Tudor Georgescu, supported by Routledge, and the universities of Oxford, Brookes, Northampton and CEU (Budapest). As the field of fascist studies continues to integrate more fully into pan-European studies of the twentieth century, and given the increasing importance of secular ‘political religion’ as a taxonomic tool for understanding such revolutionary movements, this collection of essays considers the intersection between institutional Christian faiths, theology and congregations on the one hand, and fascist ideology on the other. In light of recent debates concerning the intersecting secularisation of religion and (usually Christian-based) the sacralisation of politics, "Clerical Fascism" in Interwar Europe approaches such conundrums from an alternative perspective: How, in Europe between the wars, did Christian clergy, laity and institutions respond to the rise of national fascist movements? In doing so, this volume provides case studies from the vast majority of European countries with analyses that are both original in intent and comprehensive in scope. In dealing with the relationship of various interwar fascist movements and their respective national religious institutions, this edited collection promises to significantly contribute to relevant academic historiographies; and as such, will appeal to a wide readership. This book was previously published as a special issue of Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions . Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 8 Preface and Acknowledgements 10 ‘Clerical Fascism’ in Interwar Europe: an Introduction 12 1. The ‘Holy Storm’: ‘Clerical Fascism’ through the Lens of Modernism 20 Revaluing a Debased Concept 20 The Hyperinflation of ‘Clerical Fascism’ 20 Deflating ‘Clerical Fascism’ 22 What ‘Clerical Fascism’ is Not 24 The Preconditions for ‘Clerical Fascism’ 25 ‘Collusive’ and ‘Syncretic’ Clerical Fascism 26 The Role of Modernism in ‘Clerical Fascism’ 29 Inferences for the Comparative Study of ‘Clerical Fascism’ 31 Notes 32 Orthodox/Greek-Orthodox Christianity and Fascism 36 2. Fascism and Religion: The Metaxas Regime in Greece and the ‘Third Hellenic Civilisation’. Some Theoretical Observations on ‘Fascism’, ‘Political Religion’and ‘Clerical Fascism 36 The Case of Greece: Ioannis Metaxas, the ‘4th August’ Regime and ‘Fascism‘ 40 The ‘Third Hellenic Civilisation’: National Identity, Religion and Church 42 Conclusions: the Metaxas Regime between ‘Religious Politics’ and ‘PoliticalReligion’ 47 Notes 49 3. Between ‘Clerical Fascism’ and Political Orthodoxy: Orthodox Christianity and Nationalism in Interwar Serbia 54 Background and Context 54 Serbian Nationalism and Orthodoxy 57 The Political Milieu of Interwar Yugoslavia 58 Main Characters of the Story 60 Conclusions 62 Notes 64 4. Sacralised Politics in Action: the February 1937 Burial of the Romanian Legionary Leaders Ion Mota and Vasile Marin 66 The Legionary Movement, Self-sacrifice, Death and the ‘Rebirth of the Nation’ 66 The Legionary Movement and the Spanish Civil War 68 Staging Martyrdom 69 The Public Impact of the Moţa–Marin Funeral 73 Conclusions 74 Notes 74 5. By Cross and Sword: ‘Clerical Fascism’in Interwar Western Ukraine 78 Introduction 78 Ukrainian Nationalism as a Variety of Fascism 80 Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church between Conservatism and ‘Clerical Fascism’ 83 Conclusions 89 Notes 90 Protestant Christianity and Fascism 94 6. ‘On The Side of Christ’: Fascist Clericsin 1930s Britain 94 Anti-communism 96 Christian Faith Fascism 98 The Role of Scripture 100 Antisemitism 102 Post-BUF Activities 103 Mosley and Religion 104 Concluding Comments 105 Notes 105 7. Completing the Lutheran Reformation: Ultra-nationalism, Christianity and the Possibility of ‘Clerical Fascism’ in Interwar Sweden 110 The National Church and Nazi Germany 111 Puritanism and the Clerical People’s Party 112 Liberal Theology and the Swedish Association for Religious Reform 114 Nils Hannerz and the Manhem Society 116 Christianity and Fascism Proper 119 Notes 121 8. The Nazis’ ‘Positive Christianity’:a Variety of ‘Clerical Fascism’? 122 Notes 132 Catholic Christianity and Fascism 136 9. Catholic Modernities in Fascist Italy:the Intellectuals of Azione Cattolica 136 Notes 146 10. Catholicism and Fascism in Belgium 150 Belgium on the Eve of the First World War 150 The Catholic Revival Movement 151 Flemish Nationalism 152 The Crisis in the Catholic Party after 1936 and the Failed Formation of a Catholic Front 154 National-Socialism in Belgium under German Occupation 156 Notes 158 11. Political Catholicism, Crisis of Democracy and Salazar’s New State in Portugal 160 The Secularisation Cleavage and the Breakdown of Portuguese Democracy 160 Salazar, Fascism and the Centro Católico 164 ’Catholicising Institutions’ 167 The Catholic Church and Salazarism 169 Concluding Remarks 172 Notes 173 12. Enacting Encyclicals? Cultural Politics and ‘Clerical Fascism’ in Austria, 1933–1938 176 ’Fascist’ Parameters 177 ’Clerical’ Parameters 180 Cultural Politics 182 Conclusion 186 Notes 186 13. Radical Catholicism and Fascism in Croatia, 1918–1945 190 Croat Catholic Clericalism in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes,1918–1929 190 Croat Catholicism and Yugoslavism 191 Corporatism and Christian Socialism 192 Radical Catholicism, the Crusaders and the Shift to the Right, 1929–1941 194 The Crusaders 195 State, Nation and the National Question 196 Radical Catholicism, the Ustaše and the Independent State of Croatia, 1941–1945 200 Conclusions 201 Notes 204 14. Catholicising Fascism, Fascistising Catholicism? The Blueshirts and the Jesuits in 1930s Ireland 208 The Blueshirts 209 The Jesuits and Studies 210 Blueshirt Ideology 211 ‘Clerical Fascism’? 213 Conclusion 216 Notes 217 15. ‘Do not Lead us into (Fascist) Temptation’: The Catholic Church in Interwar Hungary 220 Introduction 220 Catholic Participation in the White Terror 223 The Issue of ‘Clerical Fascism’ in Catholic Hungary 225 Hungary and the End of Support for Militia Violence 229 Catholic Church and the Fascist Threat in the 1930s and the 1940s 231 Conclusion 235 Notes 237 Conclusion 240 ‘Clerical Fascism’: Context, Overview and Conclusion 240 ‘Clerical Fascism’ 241 Fascist and Christian ‘Palingenetic’ Projects 241 Anti-communism, Anti-capitalism and ‘Ruralism’ 243 Corporatism 244 Antisemitism and Race 244 ‘Clerical Nationalism’? 246 The Role of the Institutional Churches 247 Catholic Fascism? Christian Fascism? 248 ‘Clerical Fascism’ since 1945 249 Conclusion 250 Notes 251 About the Contributors 254 Index 258 "This edited volume arose from an international workshop convened in 2006 by Feldman and Turda with Tudor Georgescu, supported by Routledge, and the universities of Oxford, Brookes, Northampton and CEU (Budapest). As the field of fascist studies continues to integrate more fully into pan-European studies of the twentieth century, and given the increasing importance of secular 'political religion' as a taxonomic tool for understanding such revolutionary movements, this collection of essays considers the intersection between institutional Christian faiths, theology and congregations on the one hand, and fascist ideology on the other. In light of recent debates concerning the intersecting secularisation of religion and (usually Christian-based) the sacralisation of politics, 'Clerical Fascism in Interwar Europe' approaches such conundrums from an alternative perspective: How, in Europe between the wars, did Christian clergy, laity and institutions respond to the rise of national fascist movements? In doing so, this volume provides case studies from the vast majority of European countries with analyses that are both original in intent and comprehensive in scope. In dealing with the relationship of various interwar fascist movements and their respective national religious institutions, this edited collection promises to significantly contribute to relevant academic historiographies; and as such, will appeal to a wide readership."--Publisher's description This groundbreaking volume explores the relationship between various Christian confessions, such as Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and national fascist movements across interwar Europe.