In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the western and southern regions of Germany were home to intensely devout Roman Catholic communities. By the late 1950s, however, this Catholic subculture could not withstand the onslaught of a culture of consumption--motorcycles, Hollywood films, and vacations abroad. In The Wayward Flock, Mark Edward Ruff analyzes why the strategy of using modern means to fight modern society--which had worked so successfully from the 1870s to the 1920s--did not succeed in the postwar era. Ruff examines the vast network of Catholic youth organizations in West Germany that had traditionally served as a source for future youth leaders and a means by which the church could resist the changes of modern society. But organization membership dwindled from nearly 1.5 million in the 1920s to 600,000 by the early 1960s, due in large part, Ruff argues, to generational differences, an emerging ethic of consumption, and changes in West Germany's political makeup. Ultimately, Ruff demonstrates, church leaders were unable to provide viable alternatives to the antimodern and antiliberal ideologies of the past.

The Wayward Flock: Catholic Youth in Postwar West Germany, 1945-1965

History

Ruff, Mark Edward

Europe

The University of North Carolina Press

The Battle for the Catholic Past in Germany, 1945–1980

Were Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church in Germany unduly singled out after 1945 for their conduct during the National Socialist era? Mark Edward Ruff explores the bitter controversies that broke out in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1945 to 1980 over the Catholic Church's relationship to the Nazis. He explores why these cultural wars consumed such energy, dominated headlines, triggered lawsuits and required the intervention of foreign ministries. He argues that the controversies over the church's relationship to National Socialism were frequently surrogates for conflicts over how the church was to position itself in modern society - in politics, international relations and the media. More often than not, these exchanges centered on problems perceived as arising from the postwar political ascendancy of Roman Catholics and the integration of Catholic citizens into the societal mainstream.

Cambridge University Press

Were Pope Pius XII and the Catholic Church in Germany unduly singled out after 1945 for their conduct during the National Socialist era? Mark Edward Ruff explores the bitter controversies that broke out in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1945 to 1980 over the Catholic Church's relationship to the Nazis. He explores why these cultural wars consumed such energy, dominated headlines, triggered lawsuits and required the intervention of foreign ministries. He argues that the controversies over the church's relationship to National Socialism were frequently surrogates for conflicts over how the church was to position itself in modern society - in politics, international relations and the media. More often than not, these exchanges centered on problems perceived as arising from the postwar political ascendancy of Roman Catholics and the integration of Catholic citizens into the societal mainstream.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the western and southern regions of Germany were home to intensely devout Roman Catholic communities. By the late 1950s, however, this Catholic subculture could not withstand the onslaught of a culture of consumption--motorcycles, Hollywood films, and vacations abroad. In The Wayward Flock, Mark Edward Ruff analyzes why the strategy of using modern means to fight modern society--which had worked so successfully from the 1870s to the 1920s--did not succeed in the postwar era.Ruff examines the vast network of Catholic youth organizations in West Germany that had traditionally served as a source for future youth leaders and a means by which the church could resist the changes of modern society. But organization membership dwindled from nearly 1.5 million in the 1920s to 600,000 by the early 1960s, due in large part, Ruff argues, to generational differences, an emerging ethic of consumption, and changes in West Germany's political makeup. Ultimately, Ruff demonstrates, church leaders were unable to provide viable alternatives to the antimodern and antiliberal ideologies of the past.

Mark Edward Ruff explores the bitter controversies that broke out in the Federal Republic of Germany from 1945 to 1980 over the Catholic Church's relationship to the Nazis. He explores why these culture wars consumed such energy, dominated headlines, triggered lawsuits and required the intervention of Foreign Ministries. He argues that these controversies were surrogates for conflicts over how the church was to position itself in modern society - in politics, international relations and the media. More often than not, these exchanges centered on problems perceived as arising from the postwar ascendancy of Roman Catholics and the integration of catholic citizens into societal mainstream.

Katholische Kirche Und Nationalsozialismus: Erinnerungspolitik Und Historische Kontroversen in Der Bundesrepublik 1945-1980. Ubersetzt Von Charlotte P. Kieslich (German Edition)

Brill U Schoningh

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Books by Ruff, Mark Edward

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ruff, Mark Edward. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Wayward Flock: Catholic Youth in Postwar West Germany, 1945-1965

The Battle for the Catholic Past in Germany, 1945–1980

The Battle for the Catholic Past in Germany, 1945–1980

The Wayward Flock: Catholic Youth in Postwar West Germany, 1945-1965

Katholische Kirche Und Nationalsozialismus: Erinnerungspolitik Und Historische Kontroversen in Der Bundesrepublik 1945-1980. Ubersetzt Von Charlotte P. Kieslich (German Edition)