La Fondation et les débuts de « La Vie Intellectuelle » (1928-1929). Contribution à l'histoire du catholicisme intransigeant / The Founding of "La Vie Intellectuelle" and Us Early Years. A Contribution to the History of Intransigent Catholicism

Founded in 1928 by Father Bemadot, the Catholic journal La Vie Intellectuelle is generally thought to have contributed with others to the gradual evolution towards an acceptance of the modern world. Can it be inferred then that it is the expression of an authentic model of liberal Catholicism? In its beginnings at least nothing could be further from the truth as is demonstrated by the record of its first two years of existence and the analysis of the corresponding numbers. In point of fact the editors engage in an unmitigated criticism of modern times: modern thought, modern society and modern art are viewed as being the unmistakable signs of dying world. For men who view the modern world as fatal deviation case of religious non-conformity, this state of crisis is inevitable. It is indispensable to restore an order that is Christian in all its aspects intellectual social and artistic formed on the model of medieval Christianity but brought up-to-date the most important feature being the preservation of clerical power through the theory of indirect power. In their desire to obtain positive results the editors of La Vie Intellectuelle search for strategy for winning back the lost ground And yet in this respect they seem to know better what they reject than what they have to propose all the concrete positions which they are led to take belong to reformist tendency within the capitalist system.Tranvouez Yvon. La Fondation et les débuts de « La Vie Intellectuelle » (1928-1929). Contribution à l'histoire du catholicisme intransigeant / The Founding of "La Vie Intellectuelle" and Us Early Years. A Contribution to the History of Intransigent Catholicism. In: Archives de sciences sociales des religions, n°42, 1976. pp. 57-96