The Catholic Laity and the Development of Catholic Identity (discussiedossier over Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1520-1635)

Pollmann, Judith, Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635 (Past and Present; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, xiv + 239 blz., ISBN 978 0 19 960991 8). In her new book Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands, 1520-1635, Judith Pollmann uses diaries and journals to bring an individual perspective to the development of Catholic identity in the Southern Netherlands. This perspective provides valuable insights for historians of Catholic Germany, while also showing many similarities to developments in the German-speaking lands. Most importantly, Pollmann, like recent historians of Catholicism elsewhere, emphasizes the role of the laity in early modern Catholicism. The urban character of society in the Southern Netherlands does contrast with the rural character of most of Catholic Germany. Pollmann’s insightful emphasis on clergy-lay relations may cause her to downplay the role of the Jesuits and other orders. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Catholic Identity and the Revolt of the Netherlands 1520-1635' (Judith Pollmann).