Description
Book SynopsisSecularism can be stifling for religious actors seeking a voice in public life. But it can also be empowering. Sarah Shortall tells the story of France’s
nouveaux théologiens, who recast arguments over fascism, communism, democracy, and human rights in theological terms, thereby securing a voice for their faith in twentieth-century politics.
Trade ReviewSuperbly expands our knowledge of the
nouvelle théologie…The book describes a movement begun in exile and youthful rebellion, tested in clandestine anti-Nazi resistance, and shaken by political turmoil and ecclesiastical opprobrium before eventually remaking the face of the Catholic Church…[A] groundbreaking book. -- Peter Steinfels * Commonweal *
Soldiers of God is rich in political and intellectual historical insights, and it paves the way for a new agenda in the literature on secularism, religion, and politics, not least for understanding the role of Christianity in European politics today. -- Anders Berg-Sørensen * Contemporary Political Theory *
Shortall’s long-awaited book exceeds expectations. On both the micro- and macro-levels—archival research and overarching narrative—the work marks an inflection point in the study of these twentieth-century Jesuit intellectuals (and their Dominican counterparts)…Will remain a touchstone for years to come. -- Stephen Schloesser * Journal of Jesuit Studies *
Demonstrates that the separation of church and state ushered in a period of creativity in French religious thought…deserves to find a wide readership among intellectual historians. -- Carol E. Harrison * Journal of Modern History *
A profound and important book. Tracing the history of the
nouvelle théologie, Shortall shows how religious thinking can scramble our political categories and open up new ways to imagine the future. -- Edward Baring, author of
Converts to the Real: Catholicism and the Making of Continental PhilosophyAcross a tumultuous century, as Sarah Shortall reveals, French Catholic thinkers were able to make momentous contributions to politics precisely because they insisted on the irreducibility of religion. Restoring theology to intellectual history, this book is a remarkable debut. -- Samuel Moyn, author of
Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal WorldA pathbreaking account of how the
nouveaux théologiens reshaped both Catholic theology and secular philosophy in the twentieth century. Shortall thoughtfully retells modern European intellectual history, upending conventional definitions of politics and ultimately transcending the secular–religious divide. -- Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, author of
Beyond Religious Freedom: The New Global Politics of ReligionWhat happens when theology and politics mix? Sarah Shortall’s compelling study proposes an answer that is incisive and illuminating from the first page to the last. -- Philip G. Nord, author of
After the Deportation: Memory Battles in Postwar France
