Religious masculinity: Male piety and the culture wars in Third Republic France

Religious masculinity is an innovative study that demonstrates how male piety became a central battleground in the culture wars of the Third Republic. It sheds new light on our understanding of religion, masculinity and politics in a critical period of French history. Religious masculinity is a pioneering study that shows how male piety became a crucial battleground in the culture wars of the French Third Republic. Weaving together three related narratives, the book brings to light a major religious mobilization of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish leaders who set out to revitalize the faith of men, long regarded as the sceptical sex. Exploring this mobilization, the book breaks new ground, examining how the faiths constructed a religious ideal of masculinity that combined piety, heroism and patriotism. The book also demonstrates that rival visions of masculinity were at the heart of the bitter clash between republicans and Catholics. Through its crusade to boost male piety, the Church aimed to display its virile qualities and thereby cement its place at the centre of French political culture. Moreover, by drawing on a rich set of judicial archives, the book uncovers the impact of clerical sexual abuse scandals in fuelling this contest between republicans and Catholics. This is an innovative and deeply researched work that challenges a familiar narrative of male alienation from faith and that recasts our understanding of religion, masculinity and politics in a critical period of French history. Religious masculinity is a ground-breaking study that demonstrates how male piety became a crucial battleground in the culture wars of the French Third Republic. The book explores the attempts of Catholic, Jewish and Protestant reformers to revive the faith of men, who had long been regarded as the sceptical sex. It brings to light a religious ideal of masculinity that acted as a rival to secular alternatives. Moreover, it demonstrates that the culture wars pitting republicans against Catholics revolved around competing visions of masculinity. In the face of republican attacks on their Church as effeminate, Catholics aimed to project an image of virility and strength. Drawing on a rich set of judicial archives, the book also uncovers the impact of clerical sexual abuse scandals in fuelling this contest.