Conference proposa

Conference proposal

The theme of this conference is how the study of the link between Catholicism and fascism in Europe (1918-1945) has been subject to the influence of ideologies. This correlates with the fact that the relevant historiography is characterized by specific – often conflicting – ideological visions. Whereas some historiographers try to deny the convergence of the Catholic faith and the fascist ideology, others try to defend the support of Catholics for various fascist movements and regimes.

This conference wants to contribute to the methodological debate by means of original research, presented by scientists who each represent a European country or region where the fascist movement flourished and where the Catholic faith was important during the same period. These are some of the topics that will be discussed:

  1. the heuristic notion of fascism as a 'political religion'
  2. the concept of catholic 'politicisation of religion'
  3. definition of the phenomenon of 'clerical fascism' and its possible manifestations
  4. value and usefulness of a comparative approach
  5. the various forms of reception of the three most important fascisms (German, Italian, Spanish) by Catholics in foreign contexts
  6. the prospect of research based on recently discovered and/or released archives
  7. importance of the role of catholic and fascist intellectuals: towards a historiography of fascist and catholic culture
  8. the relationship between catholic and fascist 'modernism'

The presence of international specialists, who each represent a different country, will result in a complete and complex overview of the topic. This conference will allow for a methodological as well as a content-related discussion on the relation between Catholicism and fascism in Europe. It is our intention to come to a multi-facetted interpretative 'cluster' model that incorporates and refines the different research angles, which can then give direction to future research.