264 pages / 6.00 x 9.00 inches / no illustrations
History / West European | History / Spain & Portugal
In this debut work, Scott Eastman tackles the complex issue of nationalism in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Spanish Atlantic empire. Preaching Spanish Nationalism across the Hispanic Atlantic challenges the idea that nationalism arose from the ashes of confessional society. Rather, the tenets of Roman Catholicism and the ideals of Enlightenment worked together to lay the basis for a “mixed modernity” within the territories of the Spanish monarchy.
“Well written and grounded in impressive research in archival and printed primary materials and relevant secondary sources, Preaching Spanish Nationalism complements recent studies of the church, independence in Spanish America, and Spain from 1793 to 1823. Summing Up: Essential.”—Mark Burkholder, Choice
“In surveying an impressive array of clerical writings— including sermons and political treatises culled from Spanish and Mexican archival collections, newspaper editorials, commentaries, and even songs and poems….[t]his book provides a sophisticated and complicated understanding of the emergence of Hispanic liberal nationalism in the early nineteenth century.”—Gerald E. Poyo, The Journal of American History
“Scott Eastman’s first book is an interesting and useful contribution to several historical fields, namely the study of nationalism, the recently reignited debate over the nature and origins of the modern Spanish state, and the cultural connections between Spain and its colonies (mainly Mexico) in the independence era.”—European History Quarterly
“Eastman’s study destroys the notion that clergy were uniformly a monolithic, conservative presence in Spanish society, an omnipresent impediment to modernity. His examination results in a compelling argument for a revision in the way scholars think about citizenship, national identity, and the role of religion…. Preaching Spanish Nationalism is an engaging, well written and researched scholarly, revisionist tome with a superbly balanced admixture of primary and secondary sources.”—David Ortiz, Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies
“[Eastman’s] sources are diverse, ranging from songs and plays to published sermons, civil catechisms, and other political tracts. He handles these documents with great skill, providing nuanced readings and stylish translations….Scholars of Spain, its empire, and nationalism will find this book a valuable and provocative contribution to the literature.” -Matt O’Hara, American Historical Review
“Eastman’s monograph is an ambitious original attempt to reconstruct and interpret the varieties of nationalism and nationalist sentiment that existed in Spain and its dissolving empire, chiefly Mexico, in the Age of Revolutions…. Eastman deserves praise for his effort to combine European and Latin American history and to weave together the historiographies of nationalism, religion and liberalism which are normally kept separate from one another. The book is underpinned by an impressive documentary base, including municipal archives…. Overall, it is a valuable addition to the burgeoning literature on the Spanish world in the Age of Imperial Revolutions.—Gabriel Paquette, Social History
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