The Oxford History of British and Irish Catholicism, Volume V: Recapturing the Apostolate of the Laity, 1914-2021

The fifth volume of The Oxford History of British & Irish Catholicism explores the transformed ecclesial landscape between the papacies of Benedict XV and Pope Francis, focusing on the efforts of bishops, priests, and people to respond to modern challenges and reintegrate the experiences and expertise of the laity into the ministry of the Church.

Format: Hardback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 01 October 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The fifth volume of The Oxford History of British & Irish Catholicism, spanning the period from the Great War to the Second World War and the Second Vatican Council, delves into the profound transformation of the ecclesial landscape between the papacies of Benedict XV and Pope Francis. It explores the remarkable efforts of bishops, priests, and individuals in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England to address contemporary challenges and reintegrate the experiences and expertise of the laity into the ministry of the Church.

In addition to being recognized as a century of technological innovation, war, peace, globalization, decolonization, and liberation, the twentieth century has also been termed the People's Century. Through the lens of the Catholic church in Britain and Ireland, these same dynamics are examined in thematic, synoptic chapters by esteemed scholars.

As a century marked by the resurgence or better renewal of the apostolate of the laity, this edited collection traces the struggles to reconcile tradition, re-evaluate hierarchical authority, adapt to social and educational mobility, and confront significant challenges from both outside and within—including inflammatory biopolitics and clerical sexual abuse—to religious belief and the legitimacy of the Church as an institution.

Weight: 790g
Dimension: 165 x 242 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198844310