Communists and Catholics in France, 1936-1939
Subtitle: the politics of the outstretched hand
By: Francis J. Murphy.
Series: University of Florida monographs in social sciences ;; no.76; University of Florida monographs.; no. 76.
Publisher: University of Florida Press
Published: 1989
Place of publication: Gainesville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 159
Subjects: Front populaire -- History.; Parti communiste français -- History -- 20th century.; Communism and Christianity -- Catholic Church.; Communism and Christianity -- France.; France -- Politics and government -- 1914-1940.
Description: It is widely believed that interest among Communists and Catholics in the possible mutual benefits of co-operation is a Latin American phenomenon of recent vintage dating back no earlier than the late 1940s. In fact, in the years before World War II the Christian-Marxist dialogue in France proceeded on a level of sophistication unmatched since. Partly in response to the looming threat of fascism, in 1936 the French Communist Party (PCF) went public with its reformulated policy toward Catholics, offering to replace the antagonist's clenched fist with the outstretched hand of friendship. Murphy's study focuses on the constancy of the PCF's appeal to French Catholics, especially Catholic workers, for the next four years. Although French Catholics generally rejected the outstretched hand, the echoes of that Christian/Marxist dialogue sound again today in France, Poland, Nicaragua and Cuba, and throughout Latin America. -- Provided by publisher.
Notes: Bibliography: p. 145-152.
Includes index.