Creating a Scottish Church : Catholicism, Gender and Ethnicity in Nineteenth-century Scotland

A book about how Scotland’s Catholics participated in the extension of citizenship in Scotland and how it was transformed from an underground and isolated church to a multi-faceted institution that existed on a national scale. This book highlights how the Catholic population participated in the extension of citizenship in Scotland and considers Catholicism's transition from an underground and isolated church to a multi-faceted institution by taking a critical look at gender, ethnicity and class. It prioritises the role of women in the transformation and modernization of Catholic culture and represents a radical departure from the traditional perception of the church as an institution on the fringes of Scotland's religious and civic landscape. It examines how Catholicism participated in constructions of national identity and civic society. Industrialisation, urbanisation, and Irish migration forced Catholics and non-Catholics to reappraise Catholicism's position in Scotland and in turn Scotland's position in England. Using previously unseen archival material from private church and convent collections, it reveals how the construction of a Catholic social welfare system and associational culture helped to secure a civil society and national identity that was distinctively Scottish. Front matter Dedication Contents List of maps, figures and tables Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Introduction Scotland’s Catholic Church before emancipation Reinventing strategies: coping with change The recruitment of women religious Constructing a system of education Consolidating catholicity: devotion, association and community Conclusion Appendix: the patrons of the Holy Gild of St Joseph and the St Andrew’s Mortuary Gild, Edinburgh, c.1849 Bibliography Index Highlighting how the Catholic population participated in the extension of citizenship in Scotland, this book considers Catholicism's transition from an underground and isolated church into a multi-faceted institution