26 - The Popes and Education in Early Modern Europe, 1400–1800

Summary

The chapter examines the intricate relationship established between the papacy and pre-university education in the early modern age, roughly spanning from 1400 to 1800. The focus lies on the connection between the pontiffs who most promoted the educational activities of the religious teaching orders during the centuries when Catholic identity was primarily defined by its educational dimension. This gave rise to a pedagogical experimentation that was, perhaps, unprecedented in Western history.

The emergence of religious teaching orders, including the Jesuits, Somascans, Barnabites, and Piarists, to mention only the most renowned, wasn’t always directed solely towards educational pastoral work. Instead, it was often at the direct behest of the popes that these congregations embraced the educational path. A similar argument can be applied to female education, which is also addressed in this chapter and is a fundamental part of Catholic education in the early modern age.