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This article focuses on the early years of the cold war in Italy in the form of an analysis of the Catholic press from 1947 to the eve of the Second Vatican Council in 1962. In so doing it attempts to answer key questions for Italian Catholicism relating to peace building that arose from total war in the age of mass democracy. En focalisant sur le debut de la guerre froide en Italie, cet article (base sur l'analyse de la presse catholique en Italie depuis 1947 jusqu'au Deuxieme concile cumenique du Vatican) cherche a repondre aux questions centrales suivantes: comment reagissaient l'Eglise catholique et les catholiques italiens face a guerre totale et democratie de masse? Avaient-ils une vision de la paix et de l'ordre international qui pouvait se maintenir face aux ideologies dominantes du vingtieme siecle? Indem sich dieser Aufsatz auf die eng umrissene Phase des fruhen Kalten Krieges konzentriert, mochte er einen Beitrag zu der Frage leisten, wie sich das katholische Milieu in Italien an die Verhaltnisse der Massengesellschaft im Kontext der Debatten uber Frieden und kommunistische Friedensbewegung anpasste. Er basiert auf der Analyse der katholischen Presse in Italien zwischen 1947 bis zum Vorabend des Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzils.

A few years ago, while researching the perception of the Jews in Italy as revealed by Italian Renaissance plays preserved at the ShakespeareFolger Library, (2) found a play entitled: 'La [...]

Church--state relations in Italy have concerned the role of the Catholic Church in the failure of successive regimes to consolidate themselves and a triangular relationship involving the Christian Democrat (DC) party between 1943 and 1994. Despite a historic ambivalence about Christian Democracy, the church supported the party not least because of its concern about the challenge of the Communist Party. By the 1970s, the church was engaged in redefining its position vis-a-vis the state, leading to the renegotiation of the 1929 concordat in 1984. The demise of the DC in 1994 finally broke the myth of Catholic political unity., The church-state relationship has been a central theme of Italian historiography. Two themes in particular can be highlighted: the role played by the Catholic Church in the failure of successive [...]

The 'Catholic effect,' or the religious vitality of Catholic areas compared to areas where other religions dominate, has been observed by various scholars but not completely explained. Italy, where a Catholic religious monopoly dominates, also shows this effect. Indicators of vitality from clerical recruitment to mass attendance have remained relatively high and largely stable in recent decades. Yet the principal theoretical paradigms -- secularization and religious market theory -- both would predict a crisis, although for different reasons. This paper addresses the vitality of Italian Catholicism by applying religious market theory and introducing the possibility of internal competition. The policies and polity of Italian Catholicism tolerate and support internal competition; this appears to counteract the decline predicted not only by the old but also by the new paradigm. The Italian case is thus revealed to be not an exceptional event, as often considered in Italian sociology of religion. The Catholic effect could be analyzed and perhaps explained using religious market theory once internal competition is accounted for., INTRODUCTION: THE 'CATHOLIC EFFECT' In American sociological literature, the 'Catholic effect' refers to findings from national and cross-national surveys indicating that, ceteris paribus, national or local Catholic monopolies showed more [...]

On 18 February 1940, a boisterous mob of recalcitrant Italian-American parishioners of the Holy Redeemer Church in Cleveland clashed with diocesan authorities and the Cleveland police in their second successful [...]

The narratives of Francesco Spiera's death in Cittadella in 1548 emphasize that he died certain of his own damnation because he had recanted some Protestant beliefs during Inquisition proceedings six months earlier. In contrast, most modern historians of the Italian Reformation stress the widespread uncertainty and subtlety of belief in the area around Venice in the 1540s. The authors of the Spiera stories were not disinterested observers: Pier Paolo Vergerio, Matteo Gribaldi, Henry Scrymgeour, and Sigismund Gelous were, or became, Protestants. Their narratives are strongly influenced by both the ars moriendi tradition and the Anti-Nicodemite campaign against dissimulation. English writers adapted the story of Spiera's desperation to induce faithfulness (or good behavior) for the next three hundred years. Spiera stories are still often treated as factual, yet in practice his despair was exploited for propaganda purposes.

Italian anthropologist Ernest De Martino (1908-1965) devoted much of his writing to the analysis of 'the crisis of presence,' an existential dilemma evidenced in a disturbed sense of self and often expressed as illness, emotional distress, or 'alienation.' This article describes De Martino's conceptualization of the crisis of presence as a problem of consciousness with moral and emotional dimensions and applies it in interpreting the conversion narratives of three Italian Pentecostal Christians. The resolution of the crisis, for these Christians, entails the construction of a new sense of self, and particularly a new relationship to time and history. [De Martino, Pentecostalism, religion, existential crisis, Italy]

The long tradition of collecting in Italy continued into the 18th century, among a few aristocrats and, more importantly, within the academic community. Cosimo de Medici (1642-1723), Grand Duke of [...]

The sainthood of Ranieri of Pisa was based on his civic contributions and exemplary life in 12th century Italy. San Ranieri had been convinced of his religious vocation at an early stage in life, when consequently he left his secular lifestyle, assumed a monk's habit and embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. At his return he was reported to have had several visions and performed several miracles before his death in 1160.

Venice is a magical city at any time, but during the annual Carnival, held usually in February depending upon when Easter occurs, the city has a further fascination. If as [...]

The theoretical and methodological aspects of the Italian school of History of religions, that owes its particular character to the cultural commitment of Raffaele Pettazzoni, Ernesto de Martino and Angelo Brelich who are not well known internationally are studied, The aim is provide some keys to their interpretation for the purpose of wider circulation.

America's Protestant challenge and Italy's Catholic response examines the contribution to the body of the works that explores the cultural dimension of international relations. It was observed that beside the Cold War, the religious confrontation between America's Protestant and Italy's Catholic and cultural conflict existed between two nations that were otherwise allies in the struggle against communism.

In the last few decades religion and the church have moved from the margins -- or, more precisely, the chronological borders -- of Italian Renaissance studies to their center. Less [...]

Results of surveys conducted in July 2005 and May 2007 revealed that confidence in Italy's national government has increased from 24% to 30% while confidence in the integrity and quality of the media has declined from 40% to 34%. Confidence in the different aspects of Italy, before and during the prime minister Romano Prodi's time in office of is analyzed further.

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was significantly developed in the early 14th century. The period was characterized by changes in the theological belief of the older feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It also saw the laity actively celebrating the feast, including the establishment of confraternities in Italy to celebrate the occasion. However, the period also raised concerns about the nature of lay piety and associations in spreading and practising religious beliefs.

Resistance to Patriarchy of le comari of Monti Iblei, Sicily The memory of the primordial dark mother and her values of nurturance, justice, and transformation have survived into the present. [...]