Although half of the world’s Catholics live in the Americas, the history of the Church in this continent is little studied, and there is a dearth of scientific publications on the subject. Such a situation leaves open the possibility for incomplete visions and unilateral interpretations of historical phenomena, occasionally used nowadays to discredit the Church’s contribution to society.
Responding to this need and in order to offer history scholars a broader and more complete vision beyond the so called “black legends,” the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorumcreated the Postgraduate Diploma on History of the Church in the Americas, exploring the Church’s role as a historical subject within American societies.
The Postgraduate Diploma seeks to systematize the scientific study, leaving aside all ideological frameworks, by analyzing within a pluralist framework the Church’s contribution in shaping the cultural and historical development of the continent, in dialogue with the diverse religious-cultural traditions.
Since the Postgraduate Diploma offers a unique academic proposal, it has gained the interest of many scholars and historians, proving that it fulfills a need. Given its cultural and social relevance, we desire to engage benefactors and philanthropists in supporting the Postgraduate Diploma in achieving its full potential over a period of two years. The generous support of people committed to spreading a comprehensive interpretation of history, can help the Postgraduate Diploma with the establishment of a scholarship call for the fifteen most talented candidates, as well as the publication and dissemination of scientific texts on related topics.
Such an ambitious project involves distinguished representatives from the Holy See, as well as scholars from prestigious European and American universities and research centers.
The relevance of this project is twofold: on the one hand, it represents the first academic and scientific institutionalization of the studies of Church history in the Americas; on the other hand, the project, which brings together in Rome intellectuals and historians from the Americas, contributes to reinforcing mutual collaboration with the Holy See.
The expected impact is wide and can contribute positively on the cultural development of the continent, contributing to the establishment of cathedrae of this discipline in ecclesial and civil departments of humanities at universities throughout the Americas.
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Duration: 2 years
Total cost: € 86,500
- Support to Program development: € 62,500
- Book Series Publication: € 24,000