Book contents
- The cambridge history of the Papacy
- The Cambridge History of the Papacy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- General Introduction
- Part I Christendom and Empire
- Part II Crises, Schisms, and Dissent
- Part III Reformations and Revolutions
- 12 The Papacy and the Protestants, 1517–1563
- 13 The Reformation Popes
- 14 The Popes and the Enlightenment
- 15 The Papacy in Revolution, 1775–1823: The Cesena Popes, Pius VI and Pius VII
- 16 Enlightenment and Its Aftermath: Liberalism, Socialism, and Nationalism
- 17 Pope Leo XIII and the Catholic Response to Modernity
- Part IV Theopolitics and Religious Diplomacy
- Part V Inter-Faith Relations: Confrontation and Dialogue
- Select Bibliography
- Index
16 - Enlightenment and Its Aftermath: Liberalism, Socialism, and Nationalism
from Part III - Reformations and Revolutions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2025
- The cambridge history of the Papacy
- The Cambridge History of the Papacy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- General Introduction
- Part I Christendom and Empire
- Part II Crises, Schisms, and Dissent
- Part III Reformations and Revolutions
- 12 The Papacy and the Protestants, 1517–1563
- 13 The Reformation Popes
- 14 The Popes and the Enlightenment
- 15 The Papacy in Revolution, 1775–1823: The Cesena Popes, Pius VI and Pius VII
- 16 Enlightenment and Its Aftermath: Liberalism, Socialism, and Nationalism
- 17 Pope Leo XIII and the Catholic Response to Modernity
- Part IV Theopolitics and Religious Diplomacy
- Part V Inter-Faith Relations: Confrontation and Dialogue
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The modern world has as its central characteristic the claim of man’s emancipation from submission to ecclesiastical authority. Born with the Enlightenment, this claim extended from the cultural level to many areas of social life during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This process has found significant expressions in movements such as liberalism, socialism, and nationalism, which have marked the history of that period. It is commonly believed that only the Second Vatican Council has produced a turning point: the recognition of the “iusta autonomia” of earthly realities has led the Church from confrontation to dialogue with modernity. The historical judgment must be more nuanced. From the Enlightenment onwards, the papacy has sought to safeguard the submission of men to ecclesiastical authority, but it has also endeavored to adapt Catholicism to the needs of modern men for autonomy in order to be able to better communicate its message of salvation to them.
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- The Cambridge History of the Papacy , pp. 427 - 456Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025