Science and Integral Catholicism in Interwar Argentina

Abstract

During the interwar period of the twentieth century, the Roman Catholic Church in Argentina experienced a transition from a 'liberal' model to a pattern of 'integral Catholicism' in which its values and norms were thought as the ultimate foundation of the political, social, and cultural world. This paper examines the views of representative Catholic figures on the relationship between science and religion and contemporary scientific theories such as relativity, evolution, and the nature of life, relating them to the corresponding historical scenario. The absence of correlation between the scientific and ideological positions of the actors confirms the prevalent idea of complexity at the time of analysing the relationships between science, religion, and politics.