Representing Irish Religious Histories

Historiography, Ideology and Practice

Jacqueline Hill, Mary Ann Lyons, Jacqueline Hill, Mary Ann Lyons

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN:
  9783319415307
• eBook ISBN:
  9783319415314
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: British History
• Index: History

This collection begins on the premise that, until recently, religion has been particularly influential in Ireland in forming a sense of identity, and in creating certain versions of reality. History has also been a key component in that process, and the historical evolution of Christianity has been appropriated by the main religious denominations – Catholic, Church of Ireland, and Presbyterian – with a view to reinforcing their own identities. This book explores the ways in which this occurred; the writing of religious history, and some of the manifestations of that process, forms key parts of the collection. Also included are chapters discussing current and recent attempts to examine the legacy of collective religious memory - notably in Northern Ireland - based on projects designed to encourage reflection about the religious past among both adults and school-children. Readers will find this collection particularly timely in view of the current 'decade of commemorations'.

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• Notes on Contributors
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Abbreviations
• Conventions
• Part I: Historiography and Religious Polarisation, c.1600–c.1938
• Part II: Ideology and Practice: Perceptions and Uses of the Religious Past in the Wider Irish Community, c.1700–1980
• Part III: Religious History: Practice and Reconciliation, c.1980s to the Present
• Select Bibliography
• Index