The Pope and the ʿUlamāʾ: a Study of Religious Institutions and Their Evolving Relationship to Government

Author

Benjamin Newton, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-11-2024

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Croft Institute for International Studies

First Advisor

Steven Schaaf

Second Advisor

Graham Pitts

Third Advisor

Kenneth Negy

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

How and why have religious institutions changed during historical critical junctures in their relationship with government? The literature on this topic, with notable but limited exceptions (Brown et al. 2024, Koesel 2014, Fox 2008), has tended to focus on one specific institution at a time, even if analyzing its actions within multiple states. Through this project, I focus not on the same institution in different states, but on two major religious establishments in the states in which they are based. I analyze the Roman Catholic Church and the Wahhābi establishment in Italy and Saudi Arabia, respectively, to come to a conclusion regarding the nature of these organizations and their relationship to the state within the last three centuries. It is well-known that religious establishments and institutions frequently change; I argue that the major determinants of their ability and proclivity to change lie in their authority, hierarchy, autonomy, and political environment. Freer, more authoritative, politically-decentralized institutions are better equipped to shape themselves according to their circumstances, while those under the thumb of a government change only as necessary, for survival rather than for prosperity or comfort.

Recommended Citation

Newton, Benjamin, "The Pope and the ʿUlamāʾ: a Study of Religious Institutions and Their Evolving Relationship to Government" (2024). Honors Theses. 3044.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3044

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.