Scheda

WHO246  A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA, 1783-1963 (A.A. 2023/2024)

Scope: This optional course will continue the examination of the Roman Catholic Church on the North American continent. It takes up the history with the independence and creation of the United States of America, but also continues to examine the other countries emerging in the region (Mexico, Canada, and the island nations of the Caribbean). The focus shifts from the latin roots studied in the course on colonial North America, to the fruits of the immigration movements during the following 280 years. While missions for evangelization continued, increasing emphasis was placed on developing institutions to serve and welcome immigrants from Europe.

  Content: The course will begin with the newly established United States of America and the movement to develop a local clergy and diocesan structures. This will be compared to the growth and establishment of the Church in French Catholic Canada and Haiti at the time of its independence (1791-1804). The struggle for Mexican independence (1810-1821) and the role of the Church in it will also be examined and compared briefly to the interplay of church and state in other parts of Latin America. Sectionalism and Slavery/Abolition, Westward expansion, Immigration and World Wars, and post-war modernization and internationalism are divisions of civil history which will be examined from the point of view of the Church. The periodization ends with the death of the first Catholic President of the U.S. and the contribution of American theologians to the Second Vatican Council.

Method: While there will be some time given for lectures, there will also be time for student presentations on specific documents and themes, as well as historiographical issues arising. There will also be interactive discussions regarding primary and secondary sources.
Method of evaluation of learning: The course will be evaluated based on class participation (thus regular attendance is required), class presentations, as well as written work (either weekly summaries or a book report, and a final paper of 5000-7500 words). There will be no final exam or quizzes.

Informazioni

  • Semestre: 1° Semestre
  • ECTS: 3

Docenti

DOCENTI IL CORSO NON HA AVUTO LUOGO
DOCENTI IL CORSO NON HA AVUTO LUOGO

Orario lezioni/Aula

Orario delle lezioni non disponibile

Bibliografia

  • J. Henessy, American Catholics (Oxford U Press, 1981); L. Dubois – J.D. Garrigus, Slave Revolution in the Caribbean, 1789-1804), (Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2017); J.T. McGreevy, American Jesuits and the World, (Princeton U. Press, 2016). Other material will be added during the course.