Religion, State and Nation in Spain and Mexico in the 19th Century: A Comparative Perspective

This article studies the relationships between religion, state and nation in Spain and Mexico in the 19th Century. The comparison between the Mexican and Spanish experiences illustrates two approaches to the reaccommodation of the Catholic Church in societies that questioned the role of the church in a new political order but not the Catholic faith of their citizens. It also examines the role given to religion in the construction of national identity by both liberals and conservatives. Parallels can be observed among Spanish and Mexican conservatives in terms of identifying the nation with the colonial past, Catholic tradition and the monarchy. On the other hand, Spanish progressives and Mexican federalists both sided with an anticlericalism that nevertheless distanced itself from antireligious positions. Readings of the past and projects for the future in both Spain and Mexico established affinities and distances between the conservative and liberal wings of Spanish and Mexican liberalism