In the Shadow of the Vatican
Texan Evangelical Missionaries in Cold War Italy

A Texan evangelical mission in Italy, navigating the intricate complexities of the Cold War and global politics.

Mario Del Pero (Author)

9781108489133, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 6 November 2025

244 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2 cm, 0.52 kg

'Del Pero's research sheds light on important yet frequently overlooked aspects of post-WWII Italy: Protestant missionary effort and Catholic anti-Protestantism. Through a combination of micro-history and global history, this volume emphasises the complexity of Italy's political, cultural and religious landscape during the Cold War, as well as the ambiguity surrounding the encounter between Catholic Italy and the American way of life.' Paolo Zanini, University of Milan

In 1948, joining the wave of post-World War II evangelical missionary activism, the small, nondenominational Church of Christ from Lubbock, Texas, decided to establish its own mission in Italy. The missionaries believed that by promoting religious freedom, they would help spread democracy and American values. But they were also motivated by fervent anti-Catholicism and a conviction that they could challenge the Vatican's near monopoly on religion in Italy. Their zeal and naivety were met with a harsh response from the Catholic Church and its allies within the Italian government. At the same time, the omnipresent Cold War soon forced all the actors involved to adapt their strategies and rhetoric to leverage the situation to their advantage.

Introduction
1. 'In the shadow of the Vatican'
2. Spies, masons and 'purely Communist'
3. A temporary solution
4. 'The most eventful year' in the history of the Church of Christ in Italy
5. Cline Paden's departure
Conclusions
List of archives
Index.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]