Abstract

This research project investigates the divide in France between the secular State and the Catholic Church. We study a historical event that occurred at the birth of the French modern State. In 1791, the young First Republic required French priests to swear allegiance. This event led to a geographical divide between French regions where most of the priests pledged allegiance to the new Republic and those where most of the priests did not. Historians argue that the decision to swear reflected the local views of the population regarding the two competing institutions (the State and the Church). Our research explores how this geographical divide persisted in the 19th century through the use of private schools. We show that this divide became very salient during the 3rd Republic at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century when the successive governments decided to secularize the State. Furthermore, our results show that the divide is still salient nowadays, as it correlates with current religious practices and voting at major political elections.

Reference

Romain Espinosa ( CNRS), “Political Opinions and the Long-term Persistence of the Church-State Divide”, IAST Lunch Seminar, Toulouse: IAST, January 21, 2020, 12:45–13:45, room Cafeteria TSE Building.