With God on our side : British Christian responses to the Spanish Civil War / by Ben Edwards.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Edwards, Ben.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939.

Spain.

History.

Christianity--Great Britain.

Christianity.

Great Britain.

Protestantism.

Christians.

Physical Description:

vi, 321 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Newcastle upon Tyne : Cambridge Scholars Pub., 2013.

Summary:

This book uses Christian reactions to the Spanish Civil War to analyse the role and importance of Christianity in interwar Britain. This conflict is used as a proxy through which to discuss the status of Christianity in Britain because the Nationalists claimed to be fighting a Holy War against communist-atheism. This representation meant that the conflict was of considerable interest to Christians in Britain. British Christians frequently used the war in Spain to discuss their broader concerns. Many leading Catholics and fascistic Protestants argued that the events in Spain were an exaggerated form of the communist threat to Britain; by contrast, many Protestants used the war to voice their wider criticisms of Catholicism. Catholics responded to these chastisements by reasserting that members of their faith were patriots who resisted communist internationalism and atheism. Christian responses to the war, therefore, increased pre-existing tension between Protestantism and Catholicism. Similarly, Catholicism's already difficult relationship with Labour was adversely affected by these movements' reactions to the conflict. Labour's involvement with the Basque children operations showed that it wanted to maintain relatively harmonious relations with Catholicism, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Ultimately, this study uses British Christian reactions to the Spanish Civil War to indicate that Christianity was actually an important aspect of interwar British society. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Support for the Cruzada 23

The Launch of the Cruzada in Spain

Pro-Crusade Opinion amongst Catholics in Britain

The Pro-Nationalist Actions of Catholics in Britain

The Catholic Hierarchy and the League of Nations Union (LNU)

Anti-Crusade Catholics in Britain

The Religious Delegation and Inter-denominational Tensions

The United Christian Front (UCF)

The Friends of National Spain (FNS)

Conclusion

Chapter 2 Anti-Cruzada Sentiment 89

Why Was the Catholic Church in Spain Attacked?

The Treatment of Spanish Protestants

Overseas Support

Non-intervention, Appeasement, Pacifism and Anti-Fascism

Chapter 3 Defence of the Cruzada 152

The Legality of the Rebellion

The Basque Situation

Defences of the Church in Spain

Spanish Protestants

Aerial Bombardments

Chapter 4 Roman Catholicism and Labour 201

The Roman Catholic Hierarchy's Attitude to Labour

Labour Responses

Catholics, Labour and the BUF

Working-class Catholics

The Basque Children

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [384]-308) and index.

ISBN:

9781443848077

1443848077

OCLC:

855583041

Publisher Number:

99955518935