Preliminary Programme

This paper aims to study the evolution of the Church discourse on women in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Spain. Firstly, in order to understand the context in which the family developed, three key elements are studied: the Church status, which was still strongly influenced by the guidelines issued by the Council of Trent; the family status and the women role, swinging between the 19th century heritage and the 20th century emerging changes; and the reality of the press, with special attention to the Catholic journalism which was beginning to be considered as a tool for evangelization and spreading the doctrine. The relationship between these three elements is essential to understand the reality of the family in the Spain. Secondly, it is necessary to analyze the model advocated by the Catholic Church for families: known as ‘God's plan’, it was a theoretical example which was difficult to be applied to families at that time. Thus, the instructions that appeared on the Catholic press were the fight against the secularisation of the society, the perpetuation of the Christian family at home, the exaltation of marriage and the role of the spouses (the father as lord of the manor and the mother obeying both God and the husband). Therefore, by studying the family through the press in Murcia in this age some not well known aspects are studied: the evolution of family forms, the women role, the social unrest and the Catholic Church’s attempt to survive and perpetuate in a changing society. (Show less)

Influenced by the gendering of religion in the European culture wars, an alleged “feminization” became problematic within catholicism around the turn of the century. In the aftermath of the First World War, when a militarist masculinity claimed hegemony in the public sphere, calls for a more “masculine” religious rhetoric and practice gained urgency, as catholicism was otherwise deemed to be in danger of marginalization. Hence a new strand of religious literature for men and – more fervently – the catholic young men’s movement adopted the project of masculinization.
This project was carried out on three levels: linguistic, iconographic, and performative. Linguistically, the virility of being a catholic was confirmed by attributing male-coded metaphors and concepts (like “soldier”) to religious practice. Iconographically, masculinity was emphasized by new representations of Christ and by the predominance of a muscular physicality in illustrations. Masculinity was also performed in symbolic actions: by reinforcing christocentrism within devotional practices, by emphasizing male camaraderie in associations, and by choosing paramilitary parades as self-representations of the youth movement.
However, as the Third Reich was established, it was the strategy of masculinization – formerly intended to distinguish catholicism from the extremist right –, which gave catholic men a strong impetus to integrate into NS-institutions like the “Reichsarbeitsdienst” and the “Wehrmacht” since the church accepted them as domains in which they should prove their worth as men. (Show less)

From 19th century Belgian biographical manuscripts to 4G WiFi clicks on Facebook, imagery has always been an important component in devotional Catholic literature. The recent cause for the beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1, 2011 has propelled devotional imagery that has united Catholics around the globe in support for his sanctification. His beatification results from the requisite proof of his intercession in a miracle that was ascertained via the miraculous cure of a religious woman, Sister Marie Simon Pierre Normand, from Parkinson’s disease. Her image along with Pope John Paul's on Facebook and smart phone applications have served to uplift the recent Catholic spirit, demoralized by a slew of clerical pedophilic abuses. Although the materiality of textual imagery is being replaced by digital imagery, similar projects of sanctification via devotional imagery of 19th century Belgian nuns propelled the sanctification of the Catholic Church and her ministers, responding much in the same way to a virulent anti-Catholic atmosphere.

Breaking new ground from centuries past, the evolution of a new type of iconography of 'saints in gestation’ within the religious biography was an important component in the recatholicization of 19th century Belgium by the Catholic Church, after it had been banished from society during the French Revolution. By intertwining religious identity with national identity, the imagery of 'saintly' women in religious biographies served to enhance responses to the religious and socio-political developments in Belgium. Nuances in imagery over time conveyed an ever-changing religious presence in society and an increasing invitation of lay participation in the maintenance of Church institutions. This paper will demonstrate the evolution in the imagery of nuns in religious biographies spanning the 19th century, all in a quest to restore Church authority and presence in Belgian society - recatholicizing Belgium, one nun at a time. (Show less)