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Italian catholic culture through the periodical press: between reconstruction and the “Economic miracle”

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Edited by Valentina Ciciliot (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia) and Francesco Tacchi (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia)

After the World War II in Italy there was a proliferation of periodical publications differing in orientation, field of interest and groups of pression, which in the framework of the new democratic and republican order came to constitute a fundamental vehicle of ideas and cultural models, as well as an instrument employable in the political struggle. This development also affected the Catholic world, which, on the other hand, continued to have at its disposal important journals that had survived the experience of fascism and the war (i.e., «La Civiltà Cattolica»). Although dealing with a very heterogeneous range of themes and issues, these periodicals had, however, a fundamental common reference in the magisterium of the Catholic Church: in other words, they were the expression of – and in turn reflected – a Catholic “culture” that in post-World War II Italy aspired to be hegemonic and thus to inform the mentality and actions not only of the educated and ruling classes, but also of those popular strata which were exposed, in the perspective of ecclesiastical authority, to the danger of Marxist propaganda.
The present call for papers aims to reconstruct the contours of the Catholic culture conveyed by the periodical press in the years between 1945 and the so-called “economic miracle”, a period in which the peninsula was traversed by profound transformations on the political, socio-economic and cultural levels, and which coincided with the second part of the pontificate of Pius XII and that of John XXIII. Specifically, this call aims to investigate publishing “products” produced by ecclesiastical or secular entities for a wide or targeted audience, aimed at instructing, educating, outlining models, awakening devotions and other religious practices, as well as directing social and political behavior. Interest is especially directed at those seemingly “minor” publications – even local ones – that, through the development of original narratives and the use of innovations in typography, gained fortune among the reading public. Through the study of Catholic magazines and journals individual contributions should preferably (but not exclusively) examine the following themes:

• Popular religiosity and devotions;
• Missions;
• Directions and models for female audiences;
• Products for children and young people;
• Ecumenical dialogue/relationships with other Christian denominations;
• Political, economic and social changes;
• Visual culture;
• Association life.

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How to submit an article

Authors who wish to participate in this call for papers should submit an abstract of up to 1.500 characters (including spaces) by 14 July 2025. Acceptance or rejection of the proposal will be communicated by 28 July 2025.
Approved submissions must be received by the editorial office by 31 March 2026. The issue of the journal will be published in December 2026.
Articles will be double-anonymized (double-blind peer-reviewed), and must be between 35.000 and 55.000 characters (including spaces), as well as comply with editorial standards and instructions for authors found at: https://www.studistorici.com/en/instructions-to-authors/editorial-and-bibliographical-guidelines/.
Abstracts and articles, which can be written in Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portugues and German (articles in German and Portugues will be translated in Italian by the editor staff) should be sent to: redazione.diacronie[at]studistorici.com
Any additional information is available by writing to: redazione.diacronie[at]studistorici.com

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Bibliographic references

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• IMPAGLIAZZO, Marco (ed.), La nazione cattolica. Chiesa e società in Italia dal 1958 a oggi, Milano 2004.
• MAJO, Angelo, La stampa cattolica in Italia: storia e documentazione, Casale Monferrato 1992.
• MELLONI, Alberto (ed.), Cristiani d’Italia. Chiese, società, Stato, 1861-2011, Roma 2011, 2 voll.
• MENOZZI, Daniele, Crociata. Storia di un’ideologia dalla Rivoluzione francese a Bergoglio, Roma 2020.
• PAZZAGLIA, Luciano (ed.), Cattolici, educazione e trasformazioni socio-culturali in Italia tra Otto e Novecento, Brescia 1999.
• PIVATO, Stefano, Clericalismo e laicismo nella cultura popolare italiana, Milano 1990.
• RICCARDI, Andrea (ed.), Pio XII, Roma-Bari 1984.
• ROGGI, Piero, Riviste cattoliche e politica economica in Italia negli anni della “Ricostruzione”. Un contributo allo studio della fortuna di Keynes in Italia, Firenze 1979.
• SARESELLA, Daniela, Dal Concilio alla contestazione. Riviste cattoliche negli anni del cambiamento (1958-1968), Brescia 2005.
• TURI, Gabriele, Palazzolo, Maria IOLANDA (eds.), Storia dell’editoria nell’Italia contemporanea, Firenze 1997.
• VIGINI, Giuliano, Storia dell’editoria cattolica in Italia. Dall’Unità a oggi, Milano 2017.

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