John Wolffe has previously carried out extensive research on the structures, membership and ideology of anti-Catholic organisations. His initial focus was Great Britain but he has subsequently extended his interest to the United States and the British Empire.
The methodology John applied was premised on the view, fully substantiated in his published work, that while organised militant activity only ever attracted minority support, its rise, decline, self-perception and perceived influence is a highly revealing indicator of much wider attitudes and processes.
He carried out further research in Britain and the United States to develop and refine the work previously undertaken. The outcomes of this research will in the first instance be presented in conference papers and journal articles.
This project examined local serial publications such as Birmingham Catholic News (1896-1934) and the Protestant Standard (Liverpool, 1889-1916). These were viewed alongside archival sources relating to the dynamics of conflict and conflict resolution and reinforced by targeted sampling of the local secular press relating to periods of particular significance. Philomena’s objective was not to produce a systematic history but rather to build on research already carried out on particular periods, documenting and explaining long term changes in the dynamics of religious conflict and coexistence, and their implications for perceptions. Of particular relevance is the divergent experience of the two cities concerned.
The half century between the First Vatican Council and the end of the First World War saw pivotal changes in the role of Protestantism in British international relations. The period began with the Papacy re-inventing itself as a source of religious authority now denuded of temporal power; it ended with a world war fought against another leading Protestant power, Prussian-dominated Germany.
At the same time historical narrative-building re-defined English Catholic identity. The dominant Whig-influenced historiography, which proclaimed that the Reformation underlay English ‘liberty’ and ‘progress’, was challenged by new writing which propounded an alternative teleology, emphasising the richness of England’s Catholic past. Both historical schools claimed the new theories and methods of ‘scientific’ historical scholarship to authenticate their own vision of the past.
The conflict between anti-papal literature and writings emphasising the authority of the papacy was not confined to an academic setting. It found lively expression in popular and political print, which articulated conflicting historical understandings of ‘Englishness’ and national loyalty, and of Catholicism. Anti-Catholic polemic, in particular, was popular and widely distributed. Within English Catholicism the conflict between recusant practices and Romanist innovations provided further tension which erupted into the press, and led to division between leading Catholic laymen and the recently-established Episcopal hierarchy.
The thesis examines the impact of these controversial historical writings on Protestant-Catholic relations in England in an international context, with a particular focus on Anglo-Vatican diplomacy and perceptions of national security.
This study explored the ways in which perceptions and experiences are changing in Northern Ireland in the decade since the Good Friday agreement and the advancing secularization of society in the province.
The Institute of Conflict Research carried out a brief review of contemporary literature on religion, faith and identity in Northern Ireland highlighting and analysing key events and activities related to such issues. They also conducted research based on semi-structured interviews and focus groups. This project complements the research on English cities in suggesting hypotheses that aid interpretation of the historical data. The historical studies suggest trends and patterns of belief and behaviour that may be relevant to the understanding of the contemporary situation in Northern Ireland.