Overview

Pavlina Bobič examines the Catholic Church’s interpretation of the nature of the First World War, which furnished the great European conflagration with a moral dimension and bestowed upon it ideological legitimation. This volume scrutinizes contexts in which religious concepts were employed by the Slovenian clergy to advance the Habsburg dynastic authority as well as to deepen the patriotic sense of Slovenians. It shows the interaction of experiences at the front and at home, and explains the crucial reasons for the Church’s political (re)orientation during the war. Drawing extensively on contemporary documents, letters and diaries of soldiers, civilians and prominent figures, this account provides fresh insight into the people’s understanding of the conflict, which triggered tensions that were central to the dissolution of the Habsburg empire.

Full Product Details

9789004202191

Table of Contents

Reviews

Pavlina Bobic has produced a thorough examination of the Catholic Church in Slovenia during World War I, a surprisingly neglected topic even in Slovenia, especially when considering the major impact the war had on that country. War and Faith makes an important contribution to our understanding of the war as it played out within the Habsburg empire. It does a great job in bringing the experiences of small nations to our attention, in presenting the nuances of Slovene national and church politics, and in reminding us of the importance of religion in the lives, thoughts, and actions of so many people at the time. James Ramon Felak, University of Washington, in Slavic Review, volume 72, no. 3 (Fall 2013)

Author Information

Pavlina Bobič, D.Phil. (2009) in Modern History, University of Oxford, is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Cultural History of the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available