Popular print, translation and religious identity

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article examines the circulation of popular religious translations in the 19th century, illustrating how the intersection of religion, print and popular culture fostered greater orthodoxy in religious practices and greater devotion in personal piety. Using a case study of the Marian tradition in Ireland in the mid-19th century, the article questions how the wide circulation of translated religious texts could serve to create a sense of national uniqueness, but also to establish links to a global religious community, particularly in the context of the sectarian dispute. Informed by book history, the article considers the diffusion of ideas and practices through textual trails, the mechanisms of this diffusion, and the societal agency involved in the circulation of texts. It argues that the intersection between translation, reading, and religion furthered a sense of identification within a religious community and contributed to understandings of both textual and spiritual faithfulness.