France and the Cult of the Sacred Heart: An Epic Tale for Modern Times (Studies on the History of Society and Culture)

Rating:
Summary: Well-written, fascinating book!
Review: This is a thoughtful, intelligent, and well-researched book which should be required reading for anyone interested in the fascinating history of French Catholicism. There is much here for professional historians, interested amateurs, and anyone who has ever climbed the hill of Montmartre and pondered the immense church at its summit. Jonas, author of _Industry and Politics in Rural France: Peasants of the Isère, 1870-1914_, convincingly explores the history of the Sacred Heart devotion, the national feelings of guilt after the Franco-Prussian War, and elaborates upon an important aspect of the conservative politics of modern France. The work nicely complements the works of Ruth Harris, Thomas Kselman, Timothy Tackett, and Dale Van Kley. I recommend it very highly.

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