The Oxford History of British and Irish Catholicism, Volume IV Building Identity, 1830–1913 reviewed by Mark D. Chapman
Published in Victorian Studies, 2025.
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Abstract

, This is the fourth volume in a five-volume groundbreaking series that offers a comprehensive account of Catholicism in the British Isles from the (English) Reformation to the present day. In many ways the period covered in The Oxford History of British and Irish Catholicism, Volume IV: Building Identity, 1830–1913 was characterised by unprecedented change for Catholics following the repeal of the final barriers that prevented access to public institutions. Alongside this was the establishment of a Catholic hierarchy in 1850 in England and Wales and in Scotland in 1878. Along with the well-established hierarchy of Ireland, they eventually gained independence from the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in 1908, which can be regarded as the coming of age of British and Irish Catholicism. The changing nature of the episcopate through this period is discussed by Peter Doyle in a comprehensive survey: the dominant figure in Ireland was Paul Cullen and in England the very different but remarkably popular convert Henry Edward Manning who, against the wishes of many Catholics at home, was appointed to Westminster., There is a vast amount of rich material in the essays, which together offer an unparalleled account of the development of the Catholic Church and the status and role of Catholics through this formative period. The frequent interplay between the islands of Britain, where Catholics remained a relatively small but growing minority, and Ireland, where Catholicism was the religion of the substantial majority, forms the backbone of the book; it is impossible to understand the changes in the Catholicism of England, Wales and Scotland, without investigating the importance of Irish immigration and its relationships with the old recusant Catholicism, which was often far less ultramontane in its inclinations. Mangion’s opening chapter explores many of the demographic changes including the vast increase in the numbers of religious and clergy as well as the rise of Catholic associational culture and journalism. The volume devotes significant space to material culture and the changing nature of devotion and architecture as the Gothic [End Page 622] revival tended to supplant the hitherto low-key Catholic buildings, especially in impoverished Ireland. By the end of the century, as anti-Catholicism began to weaken, there was an increasing adoption of more continental and baroque architectural forms rather than the more northern Gothic style., In a comprehensive survey, Judith Champ explores the changing nature of the priest-hood and parish, developing and refining the so-called devotional revolution of post-famine Ireland pioneered by Emmett Larkin. In practice, matters were far less clear-cut and there were often longer-term developments of patterns of devotion rather than abrupt changes. An important factor in Ireland was the gradual expansion of the use of English by the priesthood, which would later “drive Cullen’s spiritual Empire across English-speaking nations” (82). In Scotland, there were frequent tensions between Irish clergy and Scottish priests. As Catholicism grew in numbers and in influence, however, its historic legacy of independence and self-reliance allowed it to maintain a sense of detachment from the establishment. The devotional revolution is also explored by Salvador Ryan, who again nuances the thesis in a comprehensive discussion of all areas of the British Isles. The current consensus of “devotional blending,” he suggests, needs to make way for a more comprehensive discussion of Victorian devotion in general, including the various aspects of popular spirituality (141). Importantly, he suggests, Catholicism needs to be understood alongside the broader culture, something that is done admirably by Susan O’Brien in a chapter on “The Blessed Virgin Mary,” which draws on aspects of Anglo-Catholic devotion alongside (Roman) Catholicism. Further chapters explore music and literature., Education, which is discussed by Maurice Whitehead, Deirdre Raftery, and Jane McDermid, became one of the most important aspects of Catholic life and political activity. By the end of the period, it was firmly entrenched in British life, with Catholics receiving significant concessions and privileges from the state. Similarly, as Ciarán McCabe explores, there was significant change and professionalization of social action, especially against the background of Irish poverty; clergy were frequently involved in popular campaigns towards amelioration of some of the worst conditions of...