Clerical fascism in interwar Europe / edited by Matthew Feldman and Marius Turda with Tudor Georgescu.

Includes papers originally presented at the international conference, "Clerical fascism in interwar Europe", held in Oxford, April 7-9, 2006.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

'Clerical fascism' in interwar Europe: an introduction / Matthew Feldman and Marius Turda -- The 'holy storm': 'clerical fascism' through the lens of modernism / Roger Griffin -- Fascism and religion: the metaxas regime in Greece and the 'third Hellenic civilisation'. Some theoretical observations on 'fascims', 'political religion' and 'clerical fascism' / Aristotle A. Kallis -- Between 'clerical fascism' and poliltical orthodoxy: orthodox Christianity and nationalism in interwar Serbia / Maria Falina -- Sacralised politics in action: the February 1937 burial of the Romanian legionary leaders Ion Mota and Vasile Marin / Valentin Sandulescu -- By cross and sword: 'clerical fascism' in interwar western Ukraine / Anton Shekhovtsov -- 'On the side of Christ': fascist clerics in 1930s Britain / Thomas Linehan -- Completing the Lutheran reformation: ultra-nationalism, Christianity and the possibility of 'clerical fascism' in interwar Sweden / Lena Berggren -- The Nazis' 'positive Christianity': a variety of 'clerical fascism'? / Richard Steigmann-Gall -- Catholic modernities in fascist Italy: the intellectuals of Azione Cattolica / Jorge Dagnino -- Catholicism and fascism in Belgium / Bruno De Wever -- Political Catholicism, crisis of democracy and Salazar's new state in Portugal / Antonio Costa Pinto and Maria Inacia Rezola -- Enacting encyclicals? Cultural politics and 'clerical fascism' in Austria, 1933-1938 / Robert Pyrah -- Radical Catholicism and fascism in Croatia, 1919-1945 / Mark Biondich -- Catholicising fascism, fascistising Catholicism? The blueshirts and the Jesuits in 1930s Ireland / Mike Cronin -- 'Do not lead us into (fascist) temptation': the Catholic Church in interwar Hungary / Bela Bodo -- 'Clerical fascism': context, overview and conclusion / John Pollard.

"This edited volume arose from an international workshop convened in 2006 by Feldman and Turda with Tudor Georgescu, supported by Routledge, and the universities of Oxford, Brookes, Northampton and CEU (Budapest). As the field of fascist studies continues to integrate more fully into pan-European studies of the twentieth century, and given the increasing importance of secular 'political religion' as a taxonomic tool for understanding such revolutionary movements, this collection of essays considers the intersection between institutional Christian faiths, theology and congregations on the one hand, and fascist ideology on the other. In light of recent debates concerning the intersecting secularisation of religion and (usually Christian-based) the sacralisation of politics, 'Clerical Fascism in Interwar Europe' approaches such conundrums from an alternative perspective: How, in Europe between the wars, did Christian clergy, laity and institutions respond to the rise of national fascist movements? In doing so, this volume provides case studies from the vast majority of European countries with analyses that are both original in intent and comprehensive in scope. In dealing with the relationship of various interwar fascist movements and their respective national religious institutions, this edited collection promises to significantly contribute to relevant academic historiographies; and as such, will appeal to a wide readership."--Publisher's description.