Devotional Cultures of European Christianity, 1790-1960 (Paperback)

This volume takes as its theme the devotional cultures of European Christianity, from the dawn of the French Revolution to that later revolution which was the Second Vatican Council. At one level, it deals with what might be called, in devotional terms, a 'long nineteenth century.' The collection is divided into three parts. The first is composed of five essays that explore the theme of spiritual and devotional renewal in Norway, Ireland, Italy, and France. The second part examines questions pertaining to devotional culture in the arts, with specific studies related to aspects of sacred music, iconography, and architecture. The final part addresses the use of devotional instruments - respectively, hymnody and religious emblems - to identify individuals and groups over and against a specified 'other, ' whether that 'other' be in 1850s England, 1930s Spain, or 1970s Belfast. Many of the contributions were first presented as papers at a five-day workshop for the European Network on the Instruments of Devotion (ENID), held at St. Patrick's College, Thurles, Ireland, which culminated in an international conference on "The Material Culture of Catholic Devotion, c.1850-c.1950" in January 2008. *** "....well-researched and stimulating collection of scholarly essays on European devotional currents that will be of interest to scholars and students alike." - Catholic Historical Review, July 2013