Catholic Mediations in Southern Europe

"This innovative and interesting book offers a new perspective on Catholicism and politics in Southern Europe, using a comparative sociology, especially via its focus on the discreet mediation role played by some Catholic actors and on the internal pluralism of the Roman Catholic Church." - Joxerramon Bengoetxea, University of the Basque Country.

"Among the huge academic literature it has inspired there is actually and paradoxically little research on the Catholic church, and even less on its grass roots social influence. Through in-depth field work in Italy, in the north and south of the Basque country and in Aquitaine, Xabier Itçaina sheds new light on the contemporary silent resilience of Catholic social networks. This book is an original and must needed tool for re-assessing the role of the Catholic Church in Europe." - Olivier Roy, European University Institute.

"Contributing to the (growing but still limited) field of study on the interaction between politics and religion, this important book singles out an important and unexplored topic in the less dramatic expressions of the impact of religious actors within modern societies. Going beyond rational choice approaches as well as the consideration of religion as irrational, Xabier Itcaina convincingly develops a very nuanced analysis of religion as embedded in complex institutional fields, with areas of overlapping with institutional actors but also with social movements. The cross-national and sub-national comparison of various forms of Catholicism allows investigating in depth the norms of religious practices." - Donatella della Porta, Scuola normale superiore.