Roads to Rome: The Antebellum Protestant Encounter with Catholicism

Jenny Franchot's book explores the cultural, literary, and religious history of Protestant attitudes toward Roman Catholicism in nineteenth-century America, focusing on the mixture of hostility and fascination with foreign practices. It analyzes the effects of religious attitudes on historical ideas and explores the popular tales of convent incarceration, which were part of the discourse of Protestant nativism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 528 pages
Publication date: 25 March 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

The complex blend of animosity and fascination with which native-born Protestants regarded the foreign customs of the immigrant church is the central theme of Jenny Franchot's comprehensive cultural, literary, and religious history of Protestant attitudes toward Roman Catholicism in nineteenth-century America. Franchot delves into the profound impact of religious beliefs on historical conceptions of America's origins and destiny. Subsequently, she directs her attention to the widely circulated tales of convent imprisonment, featuring Protestant maidens entrapped within the confines of Catholic institutions and subjected to the lecherous and tyrannical rule of Church superiors. These narratives of religious captivity, reminiscent of those involving Indian captivity, played a significant role in the ethnically, theologically, and sexually charged discourse of Protestant nativism. Furthermore, the discussions of writers such as Stowe, Longfellow, Hawthorne, and Lowell, who exhibited sympathy for Romanism and incorporated its imaginative qualities into their fiction, serve as clear evidence of the profound influence of religious forces on the American national character. This title is proudly presented as part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, a dedicated initiative aimed at resurrecting and amplifying the voices of exceptional scholars. Drawing upon a rich backlist dating back to 1893, Voices Revived employs print-on-demand technology to make high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship readily accessible once more. Originally published in 1994, this title stands as a testament to UC Press's unwavering commitment to seeking out and nurturing the brightest minds, ensuring that their insights and ideas resonate with a broader audience.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520305663