This book compares regional conceptions and variations of welfare in relation to national religio... more This book compares regional conceptions and variations of welfare in relation to national religious traditions across key parts of Europe. Using comparative case studies, the book examines the transition from research to practical policy recommendations, highlighting the similarities and differences between selected European countries.
Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Introduction: A Critical Agenda PART O... more Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Introduction: A Critical Agenda PART ONE: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Common Sources/Different Pathways Secularization: Process and Theory Rational Choice Theory Modernity: A Single or Plural Construct? Methodological Challenges PART TWO: SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES Mainstream Religions in the Western World Minorities and Margins Demanding Attention: Fundamentalisms in the Modern World Globalization and the Study of Religion Religion and the Everyday Conclusion: Revisiting the Agenda
The first section of this chapter covers the conceptual understandings of secular, secularization... more The first section of this chapter covers the conceptual understandings of secular, secularization, secularity and secularism, together with the rich sources of data available in Europe. It argues that secularization is neither linear nor predictable; it is a complex and contingent process that takes place differently in different places both within Europe and beyond. The second section recalls the long-term evolution of the secular in Europe as a whole. The core of the chapter, however, focuses on the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This period is considered both chronologically and thematically with the following question in mind: is Europe secular because it is modern, or is Europe secular because it is European? Given the growing conviction that Europe is unusually secular in global terms, it seems that the latter is more likely. Secularization is central to the self-understanding of modern Europe; it should not be assumed, however, that secularization is a necessary—thus universal—concomitant of modernization.
This article begins by clarifying the meanings attributed to pluralism; it then places the Europe... more This article begins by clarifying the meanings attributed to pluralism; it then places the European case in a global context. The body of the article looks at the management of religious pluralism in Europe in terms of commonality and difference. At one and the same time, Europe is becoming increasingly secular and religiously plural-both trends are important if we are to understand the issues at stake. A close examination of four individual cases (Britain, France, the Netherlands and Greece) reveals, however, that it is important not to jump to conclusions regarding outcomes. Each country must be considered on its own terms. The final section introduces a rather different feature: the European Court of Human Rights, noting its place in the management of religious pluralism. A growing jurisprudence emanating from the Court is becoming increasingly influential.
This article engages the debate about religion in Europe in two ways. It starts by setting out th... more This article engages the debate about religion in Europe in two ways. It starts by setting out the factors that must be taken into account in understanding the present situation in Europe with regard to religion. It continues by reflecting on these changes in terms of three atypical cases: Ireland, the former East Germany, and Romania. The article concludes with an affirmation of the overall framework. Though distinctive, each of the three cases can be ‘contained’ in this approach.
This book compares regional conceptions and variations of welfare in relation to national religio... more This book compares regional conceptions and variations of welfare in relation to national religious traditions across key parts of Europe. Using comparative case studies, the book examines the transition from research to practical policy recommendations, highlighting the similarities and differences between selected European countries.
Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Introduction: A Critical Agenda PART O... more Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Introduction: A Critical Agenda PART ONE: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Common Sources/Different Pathways Secularization: Process and Theory Rational Choice Theory Modernity: A Single or Plural Construct? Methodological Challenges PART TWO: SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES Mainstream Religions in the Western World Minorities and Margins Demanding Attention: Fundamentalisms in the Modern World Globalization and the Study of Religion Religion and the Everyday Conclusion: Revisiting the Agenda
The first section of this chapter covers the conceptual understandings of secular, secularization... more The first section of this chapter covers the conceptual understandings of secular, secularization, secularity and secularism, together with the rich sources of data available in Europe. It argues that secularization is neither linear nor predictable; it is a complex and contingent process that takes place differently in different places both within Europe and beyond. The second section recalls the long-term evolution of the secular in Europe as a whole. The core of the chapter, however, focuses on the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This period is considered both chronologically and thematically with the following question in mind: is Europe secular because it is modern, or is Europe secular because it is European? Given the growing conviction that Europe is unusually secular in global terms, it seems that the latter is more likely. Secularization is central to the self-understanding of modern Europe; it should not be assumed, however, that secularization is a necessary—thus universal—concomitant of modernization.
This article begins by clarifying the meanings attributed to pluralism; it then places the Europe... more This article begins by clarifying the meanings attributed to pluralism; it then places the European case in a global context. The body of the article looks at the management of religious pluralism in Europe in terms of commonality and difference. At one and the same time, Europe is becoming increasingly secular and religiously plural-both trends are important if we are to understand the issues at stake. A close examination of four individual cases (Britain, France, the Netherlands and Greece) reveals, however, that it is important not to jump to conclusions regarding outcomes. Each country must be considered on its own terms. The final section introduces a rather different feature: the European Court of Human Rights, noting its place in the management of religious pluralism. A growing jurisprudence emanating from the Court is becoming increasingly influential.
This article engages the debate about religion in Europe in two ways. It starts by setting out th... more This article engages the debate about religion in Europe in two ways. It starts by setting out the factors that must be taken into account in understanding the present situation in Europe with regard to religion. It continues by reflecting on these changes in terms of three atypical cases: Ireland, the former East Germany, and Romania. The article concludes with an affirmation of the overall framework. Though distinctive, each of the three cases can be ‘contained’ in this approach.
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