Priests, Prelates and People: A History of European Catholicism since 1750

Description

The Catholic Church has always been a major player in European and world history. Whether it has enjoyed a religious dominance or existed as a minority religion, Catholicism has never been diverted from political life. "Priests, Prelates and People" records the Church struggling to adapt to the new political landscape ushered in by the French Revolution, and shows how the formation of nation states and identities was both helped and hindered by the Catholic establishment. It portrays the Vatican increasingly out of step in the wake of world war, Cold War and the massive expansion of the developing world, with its problems of population growth and under-development.

Nicholas Atkin (1960-2009) was Professor of Modern European History at the University of Reading. Frank Tallett was, until his retirement, Head of the School of Humanities at the University of Reading.