Church, State and Propaganda: The Archbishop of York and International Relations, A Political Study of Cyril Forster Garbett, 1942-1955 by Dianne Kirby

BOOK REVIEWS353 Church, State and Propaganda: The Archbishop of York and International Relations, A Political Study of Cyril Forster Garbett, 1942-1955. By Dianne Kirby (Hull: University of HuU Press. 1999. Pp. vi, 303. £14.99 paperback .) Christianity has played a major role in the growth and development of western civUization. Marxists and other secularists, however, have taken a critical view of religion and have even predicted its demise. Events of the twentieth century, which has seen two world wars and the Holocaust, seemed to confirm its declining significance in the contemporary world. But communism has collapsed and Christianity appears to be thriving. Important in any discussion of modern religion is its connection with politics, and Dianne Kirby re-evaluates the poUtical role of the AngUcan Church and the actions of the Archbishop of York, CyrU Forster Garbett, and shows how religion became a defense against godless communism. According to the author, "This study ventures into the field of 'the most contested concept'—ideology, bringing together the poUtical and the reUgious in a way not previously attempted" (p. 1). After a brief biography of Garbett (1875-1955), which emphasizes his concern for the poorer members of society and his early work in the AngUcan Church, Kirby begins her analysis of Garbett's view of the relationship of church and state in 1942, when he was enthroned as Archbishop of York. As Archbishop, he effectively promoted the war effort and worked with the Ministry of Information and the Foreign Office. Consequently, Garbett came to believe that the church had an important part to play in modern society as an equal partner with the state. Kirby successfully demonstrates how this principle guided Garbett in his defense of a Christian western civilization against the evils of atheistic communism and shows how Archbishop Garbett responded to the anxiety created by fear of Soviet domination. The perilous situation in Greece and Eastern Europe, the debates in England concerning the use of nuclear weapons, and the relationship with the United States aU provided platforms for Garbett to denounce communism. In addition to descriptions of the Archbishop's visits abroad and his encounters with statesmen and other churchmen, extracts from speeches, diary entries, and newspaper reports give the reader an insight into his personality and mission. "Garbett saw the struggles against first fascism and then communism as righteous contests which permitted the Church to assume a significantly meaningful role in the Ufe of the nation whereby it was able to re-establish its position as an authoritative institution " (p. 266). Kirby has made good use of archives and printed sources to describe the complexities of the ColdWar era and the actions ofArchbishop Garbett to combat the growth of communism. She certainly understands his goals. The author also has a good grasp of the political environment in postwar England and the intricacies of international diplomacy. Her descriptions of Garbett's numerous foreign trips, his relations with diplomats, and his ideas on the important role of Christianity in the secular world prove that religion and ideology, as repre- 354BOOK REVIEWS sented by the Archbishop ofYork, did exert a constructive influence in the troublesome period following World War II. Rene Kollar St. VincentArchabbey Latrobe, Pennsylvania American and Canadian L'Amérique du Nordfrançaise dans les archives religieuses de Rome 16001922 . Guide de recherche. Under the direction of Pierre Hurtubise, Luca Codignola, and Fernand Harvey. (Sainte-Foy Québec: Les Presses de l'Universit é Laval, Les Éditions de l'IQRC. 1999. Pp. xü, 202. $32.00 Can.) AU guides, catalogues, and calendars save historians innumerable hours. This is particularly the case, when, as in the present book, the professionals who put the volume together are scholars actively working in the craft. The authoreditors of the Guide carefully divided the chores. As the introduction explains, Hurtubise and Roberto Perin contextualized the opus in the historical essay on "Rome et l'Amérique du Nord française." Codignola and Matteo Sanfilippo, who worked together in composing "Archivistes, historiens et archives romaines," were responsible for the archives and libraries of Rome. Harvey joined Codignola in drawing up helpful chronological tables. The Guide leans toward Canada—a tUt obvious and intended—but it does...

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