Histoire des curés (review)
Clarke Garrett
Reviewed by Clarke Garrett Dickinson College (Emeritus) Histoire des curés. By Michel Lagrée, Nicole Lemaitre, Luc Perrin, and Catherine Vincent. (Paris: Fayard. 2002. Pp. 523. €23,00.) The four authors of this work have set themselves a formidable task. Drawing on vast body scholarship, most it published in the last thirty years, they describe analyze history Roman Catholic Church [End Page 877] from fourth century until present, focusing, as much possible, perspective parish priest, person placed charge "care souls" specific territorial space within diocese. Vincent is author introduction first section, which little over hundred pages covers period fourteenth. It remarkable achievement. draws wide range studies, them French but including respectable number works Italian English well. She emphasizes that our knowledge still fragmentary written record reflects ideal not reality organization priestly conduct. Adapted structures Empire, into dioceses parishes was distinct contribution church based Rome. present Eastern or Celtic Christianity, Middle Ages essentially autonomous. establishment system process centuries, articulated Carolingian Gregorian reformers firmly place thirteenth century. second Reformation Counter-Reformation, Lemaitre. A central theme clergy, two contrasting notions nature Church, both had their advocates previous millennium. reformers, at least those mainline Reformation, rejected notion hierarchical authority clergy special calling living communities apart them, to embody spiritual moral perfection. Those who adhered were equally committed reform, only traditional authority. Council Trent, Lemaitre argues, genuine reformation, addressing concerns past resolving many them. Especially crucial for future, she demonstrates, decision create seminaries would receive an education concerned with material, secular world possible. third eighteenth nineteenth noted scholar Lagrée. difficult summarize. Lagrée notes despite training, France Italy, deeply involved social intellectual transformation Enlightenment. Revolution thus presented tragic dilemma, because so priests, some influenced pervasive movement Jansenism, welcomed divinely sanctioned opportunity transform state. chapters are somewhat fragmentary, perhaps attempts cover too topics result loses sight evolution clergy. final since World War I, Perrin. satisfactory part book, then recent developments, 878] especially Vatican II, amenable historical analysis. Perrin enormous impact I clergy—fourteen per cent Frenchmen killed war monks, seminarians. role occupied Europe II treated without depth analysis, although topic controversy. section fuller more balanced, concerning its the...
Catholic Historical Review