L'Eglise Catholique et la modernisation de l'agriculture en France.

The Author sets for himself the task of examining relations between the Catholic Church of France and the world of agriculture over the course of the 20th century. Social Catholicism and Catholic Action represented the efforts by the church to regain its influence in rural society. But it was capable of realizing this project only by taking into account the economic, political and cultural transformations which had affected this society. Thus, it found itself involved, in a specific maner in the social history of this century and in an effort at reinterpreting the modernity affecting society in its entirety. The success of social Catholicism in the rural world permitted a large number of peasants access to modern agriculture, both economically and culturally. The limits of the ecclesiastical undertaking nevertheless made themselves felt there where the evolution menaces the identity and the unity of the religious institution, at the same time that the socio-economic interest which might lie in such a belonging became blurred for certain farmers. Today, the legitimacy of Rural Catholic Action tends to blur, faced with the development of new trends, such as the «charismatic renewal» : another manner of taking the modern world into account through a recognition and an emotional expression of contemporary individualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social Compass is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)