For God and Liberty: Catholicism and Revolution in the Atlantic World, 1790-1861

The Age of Revolution in Spanish America was a transatlantic Catholic civil war, with Reform Catholicism being significant to the rebel literati who led decolonization efforts. Pamela Voekel's book, "For God and Liberty," reveals how the violent struggles of decolonization and the period before and after Independence are more legible in light of the fault lines within the Church.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The Age of Revolution, traditionally seen as a period of secularization, has been interpreted as tracing the transition from monarchies to independent republics through democratic movements, often characterized by hostility towards Catholicism. However, Pamela Voekel challenges this narrative by centering the story on Spanish and Latin American actors, highlighting a transatlantic Catholic civil war as the driving force behind the nineteenth-century transformation in Spanish America. Through her analysis, Voekel demonstrates the significant role of Reform Catholicism in shaping the thoughts and actions of rebel literati who spearheaded decolonization efforts in Mexico and Central America. She shows how both sides of this religious divide operated within a self-conscious intercontinental network of like-minded Catholics, shaping their strategies and ideologies.

For the central protagonists of this era, the crisis of sovereignty offered a political platform for a religious struggle. Drawing on ecclesiastical archives, pamphlets, sermons, and tracts, For God and Liberty offers a fresh perspective on the violent conflicts of decolonization and the periods preceding and following Independence by illuminating the fault lines within the Church. This book sheds light on the complex interplay between religion, politics, and national identity during a pivotal period in world history, providing a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped the modern world.

Weight: 618g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197610206