Popular Catholicism in Nineteenth-Century Germany

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The book examines popular religious life in a region comparable to modern North Rhine-Westphalia from 1830 to 1880, challenging existing views in German historiography. It highlights the initial decline in church attendance and the rise of secular morality in the early nineteenth century, followed by a resurgence of religious commitment and loyalty to the church after 1850. This revival contributed to the emergence of political Catholicism, marking a significant shift in the relationship between religion and society during this period.