
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The East–West divide The East–West divide
-
Aspirations for a Christian post-war order Aspirations for a Christian post-war order
-
Rome and Geneva Rome and Geneva
-
Behind the Iron Curtain Behind the Iron Curtain
-
Détente and decolonization Détente and decolonization
-
Discretion and valour: the end of the Cold War Discretion and valour: the end of the Cold War
-
Conclusion Conclusion
-
Works cited Works cited
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12 Religion and the Cold War in Europe
Get accessDianne Kirby’s doctoral research in the 1980s helped to establish the significance of the Cold War’s religious dimension, an area in which she has since published widely. A research fellow at Trinity College Dublin, Dianne is the coordinating editor of the international history journal Twentieth Century Communism, reviews editor of Socialist History, and a committee member of the Oral History Network Ireland. In 2012, she initiated a pioneering oral history project that brings together in conversation religious who have experienced conflict. Initially a largely male-centric venture focused on the Cold War, it evolved to look at other conflicts, including the role of women religious, Catholic and Protestant, during the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland (available at https://sites.google.com/site/coldwarkirby/).
-
Published:08 December 2021
Cite
Abstract
This chapter examines the religious Cold War, spawned by the West, and its impact throughout Europe. The religious Cold War was a diverse, multidimensional, complex global phenomenon whose salience varied according to the stage of the conflict, geographical location, cultural underpinnings, as well as national and local dynamics. Europe, where the Cold War began and ended, was a multiconfessional continent wherein Christianity, with its intimate historical, cultural, and indeed national links, was the dominant religion. The chapter focuses on the impact of the East–West power struggle on the churches and how they met its various challenges, especially fear of nuclear obliteration. During the Cold War religious organizations negotiated the arms race, détente, decolonization, globalization, secularization, and the growing importance of the developing world. The chapter examines their religio-political evolution as they encountered the Cold War, their contribution to ending it, and their position in the post-Cold War global order.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 5 |
November 2022 | 3 |
December 2022 | 19 |
January 2023 | 9 |
February 2023 | 7 |
March 2023 | 8 |
April 2023 | 1 |
May 2023 | 9 |
June 2023 | 6 |
July 2023 | 4 |
August 2023 | 7 |
September 2023 | 12 |
October 2023 | 10 |
November 2023 | 6 |
December 2023 | 13 |
January 2024 | 8 |
February 2024 | 3 |
March 2024 | 50 |
April 2024 | 10 |
May 2024 | 5 |
June 2024 | 8 |
July 2024 | 5 |
August 2024 | 5 |
October 2024 | 1 |
November 2024 | 6 |
December 2024 | 7 |
January 2025 | 4 |
February 2025 | 15 |
March 2025 | 19 |
April 2025 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.