Deutsche Katholiken zwischen Nation und Europa 1870–1970: Europa- und Abendland-Perspektiven in Kulturdebatten und gesellschaftlicher Praxis im Spiegel jüngerer Publikationen
At the beginning of the 21st century Europe experienced a vigorous debate concerning two questions: What is the role of Christianity in the cultural history of the western world, and what is its role in the development of the idea of Europe? This paper describes the attitude German Catholics took up...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic/Print Article |
| Language: | German |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
2008
|
| In: |
Jahrbuch für europäische Geschichte ; 9
Year: 2008, Volume: 9, Pages: 3-29 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | At the beginning of the 21st century Europe experienced a vigorous debate concerning two questions: What is the role of Christianity in the cultural history of the western world, and what is its role in the development of the idea of Europe? This paper describes the attitude German Catholics took up to theri own nation and to Europe between the 1870s and the 1950s. France has been perceived as (national) concept of an enemy by German Catholics between the German-French War of 1870/71 and the end of World War I. Whereas "national character" and confessional difference, both, habe been used by Protestants to give reason for the difference between the so-called German "Kultur" and the so-called French "civilisation", Catholics had to argue much more circumspective in this regard. The Catholic bourgeoisie did not coopt with extrem nationalism nor integrate extrem nationalist paroles and ideologies in their world view until 1914, but sought to combine patriotism and regional identities with the association to an international community: the Catholic Church. Admittedly, these concepts offered no perspective for an affirmative European identity as they grew out of German home-grown debates over culture and religion. Only in examination of the Nazi ideology an idea of "Europe" or a so-called European "Abendland" was given bith within German Catholicism. Catholic publicists in opposition to fascism applied their ideas to the utopia of an "Abendland" united in Christendom and Christian values. Though, the main weakness of this theory was, that the integration of the reformation, the enlightenment and the developments of the modern society remained impractical in this way of thinking and the mentality of a Catholic renewal. Only when Catholic members of the anti-Nazi resistance focused on human rights a real breakthrough of european thinking became possible. This can be seen as a starting point for ethical consensus and understanding at the level of European political concepts after 1945. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: | Literaturangaben |
| ISBN: | 3486583476 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Jahrbuch für europäische Geschichte ; 9
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.15496/publikation-35226 HDL: 10900/93842 |