Abstract

The article questions the return of such a controversial term as «Counter-Reformation » to English-speaking historiography. It retraces the genesis of approaches developed in cultural studies and within a global perspective that, by focusing solely on religious practices and material devotions, have led the dominant «Counter-Reformation narrative» to the suppression of the political dimension. The contribution suggests some good reasons for reopening the lines of communication between English- speaking and Italian historiography. Moreover, it critically assesses the current use in historical studies of concepts such as «negotiation» and «identity».