Western European Liberation Theology : The First Wave (1924-1959)

Western European Liberation Theology is the first comprehensive survey of the development of a distinct, progressive variant of Catholicism in twentieth-century Western Europe. This Left Catholicism served to lay the basis for the subsequent events and evolutions associated with Vatican II. Initially emerging within the boundaries of Catholic Action, fuelled by the growing power and self-confidence of the Catholic laity, a series of challenges to received wisdom and an array of novel experiments were launched in various corners of Western Europe. The moment of liberation from Nazi occupation and world war in 1944/45 turned out to be the highpoint of these optimistic paradigm shifts. Concentrating on interrelated developments in theology, Catholic politics and apostolic social action, Gerd-Rainer Horn integrates evidence from Italian, French and Belgian national contexts. Drawing on his research in over twenty archives between Leuven and Rome, he highlights the role of organisations, social movements, and intellectual trends. The pivotal contributions of key individuals are assessed, from theologians such as Jacques Maritain and Emmanuel Mounier, to the millenarian activist priests, Don Zeno Saltini and Don Primo Mazzolari. In conclusion Horn suggests that first-wave Western European Left Catholicism served as an inspiration - and constituted a prototype - for subsequent Third World Liberation Theology. Contents......Page 8 List of Plates......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 A Vicar in Laken......Page 16 The Condition of Young Workers in Belgium......Page 19 The Innovative Spirit of the KAJ/JOC......Page 23 From Social to Spiritual Engagement......Page 29 The Birth of the French JOC......Page 33 Divergent Paths in Belgium and France......Page 36 Inner Dynamic towards the Left......Page 39 Defending the Catholic Faith in the Nineteenth Century......Page 41 The Social Doctrine of the Church......Page 45 Italian Catholic Action......Page 49 Catholic Action and Political Action......Page 52 ‘Autonomous Beings’......Page 56 Learning Self-Expression......Page 61 The Crisis of Modernism......Page 65 The New Christendom, Mark I......Page 67 The Primacy of the Spiritual......Page 70 A Second Renaissance......Page 73 A New Mysticism......Page 77 The Mystical Body of Christ......Page 80 Catholic Action and the Mystical Body of Christ......Page 83 The Competition of Mystiques......Page 87 From a Reinterpretation of the Past towards a Design for the Future......Page 90 Towards a Theology of the Laity......Page 92 The Promotion of the Laity......Page 95 Jacques Maritain......Page 100 The New Christendom, Mark II......Page 103 The Socialist Alternative......Page 106 The Personalism of Emmanuel Mounier......Page 109 Anarchism, Communism, and the New Left......Page 112 Marie-Dominique Chenu......Page 114 Towards a Theology of Labour......Page 117 The ‘First’ Christian Democracy......Page 121 Christian Socialism in Post-War Germany......Page 124 A Catholic Shift to the Left: Belgium and France......Page 127 Il Gruppo Dossettiano......Page 131 The Birth of the Sinistra Cristiana......Page 135 Marxism and Catholicism......Page 136 Forging an Anti-Fascist Consensus?......Page 141 The Road towards Self-Dissolution of the PSC......Page 144 The Achievements of the Christian Communists......Page 145 The Partito Cristiano-Sociale......Page 147 The Organizational Trajectory of the PCS......Page 152 Don Primo Mazzolari......Page 155 A Preacher in the Piazza......Page 157 Preparing an Event......Page 160 The Convegno delle Avanguardie Cristiane......Page 162 Don Primo’s Kreuzweg......Page 166 Don Zeno Saltini......Page 167 The Schedule of an Agitator......Page 170 Creating Piccoli Apostoli: Nomadela......Page 176 The Movement of Human Fraternity......Page 178 Another Stillborn Revolution......Page 182 Franco-Belgian Cooperation......Page 186 The Ligue Ouvrière Chrétienne......Page 188 Assuring Food on the Table......Page 191 Production and Fashion......Page 194 Squatting......Page 196 Women in the MPF......Page 198 The Mouvement and French Communism......Page 204 The Case of Saint-Étienne......Page 209 Efforts at United Fronts......Page 212 Take-Off and Deconfessionalization......Page 214 The High Point of MPF Influence......Page 218 Post-1945 Decline......Page 221 A Rival Organization Sponsored by the Church......Page 224 The Belgian MPF......Page 225 Belgian Critics of Tradition......Page 236 La France: Pays de Mission?......Page 238 Cardinal Suhard......Page 243 The Mission de France......Page 246 Cultural Immersion......Page 253 The Mission de Paris......Page 257 Constructing Christian Communities......Page 263 A Fascination with Community......Page 272 From Community Focus to Workplace Orientation......Page 276 French Underground Priests in Nazi Germany......Page 281 Mission de Belgique......Page 283 The Gleichschaltung of the Worker Priests......Page 286 The Taming of the Mission de France......Page 291 The Mission Ouvrière......Page 298 An Aggiornamento of the Catholic Church?......Page 300 Two Waves of Progressive Catholicism......Page 302 European Influence on Latin American Liberation Theology......Page 304 The Dialectic of History......Page 307 Bibliographic Essay......Page 314 D......Page 322 L......Page 323 P......Page 324 W......Page 325 Western European Liberation Theology, 1924-1959 Is The First Comprehensive Survey Of The Development Of A Distinct, Progressive Variant Of Catholicism In Twentieth-century Western Europe. This Left Catholicism Served To Lay The Basis For The Subsequent Events And Evolutions Associated With Vatican Ii. Concentrating On Interrelated Developments In Theology, Catholic Politics And Apostolic Social Action, Gerd-rainer Horn Integrates Evidence From Italian, French, And Belgian National Contexts. Drawing On His Research In Over Twenty Archives Between Leuven And Rome, He Highlights The Role Of Organisations, Social Movements, And Intellectual Trends. The Pivotal Contributions Of Key Individuals Are Assessed, From Theologians Such As Jacques Maritain And Emmanuel Mounier, To The Millenarian Activist Priests, Don Zeno Saltini And Don Primo Mazzolari. In Conclusion Horn Suggests That First-wave Western European Left Catholicism Served As An Inspiration - If Not Constituting A Prototype - For Subsequent Latin American Liberation Theology.--book Jacket. Catholic Action : A Twentieth-century Social Movement, 1920s--1930s -- Theology And Philosophy In The Age Of Fascism, Communism, And World War -- The Politics Of Left Catholicism In The 1940s -- The Mouvement Populaire Des Familles -- A Working-class Apostolate Beyond Catholic Action : Team Building, Base Communities, And Worker Priests -- Conclusion. Gerd-rainer Horn. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [303]-310) And Index. Western European Liberation Theology is the first comprehensive survey of the development of a distinct, progressive variant of Catholicism in twentieth-century Western Europe. This Left Catholicism served to lay the basis for the subsequent events and evolutions associated with Vatican II. Initially emerging within the boundaries of Catholic Action, fueled by the growing power and self-confidence of the Catholic laity, a series of challenges to received wisdom and an array of novel experiments were launched in various corners of Western Europe. The moment of liberation from Nazi occupation and world war in 1944/45 turned out to be the highpoint of these optimistic paradigm shifts. Concentrating on interrelated developments in theology, Catholic politics, and apostolic social action, Gerd-Rainer Horn integrates evidence from Italian, French, and Belgian national contexts. Drawing on his research in over twenty archives between Leuven and Rome, he highlights the role of organizations, social movements, and intellectual trends. The pivotal contributions of key individuals are assessed, from theologians such as Jacques Maritain and Emmanuel Mounier, to the millenarian activist priests, Don Zeno Saltini and Don Primo Mazzolari. In conclusion Horn suggests that first-wave Western European Left Catholicism served as an inspiration - and constituted a prototype - for subsequent Third World Liberation Theology. Introduction Catholic action : a twentieth-century social movement, 1920s 1930s Theology and philosophy in the age of fascism, communism, and World War The politics of left Catholicism in the 1940s The Mouvement populaire des familles A working-class apostolate beyond Catholic action : team building, base communities, and worker priests Conclusion. 'Western European Liberation Theology' surveys the development of a distinct, progressive variant of Catholicism in 20th century Western Europe. This Left Catholicism was a basis for the subsequent events and evolutions associated with Vatican II and provided a prototype for Third World Liberation Theology