Religion in Europe at the End of the Second Millenium
Religion in Europe at the End of the Second Millenium

Author: Andrew M. Greeley

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-05

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1351493728

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Most sociologists of religion describe a general decline in religious faith and practice in Europe over the last two centuries. The secularizing forces of the Enlightenment, science, industrialization, the influence of Freud and Marx, and urbanization are all felt to have diminished the power of the churches and demystified the human condition. In Andrew Greeley's view, such overarching theories and frameworks do not begin to accommodate a wide variety of contrasting and contrary social phenomena. Religion at the End of the Second Millennium engages the complexities of contemporary Europe to present a nuanced picture of religious faith rising, declining, or remaining stable.

Sacred and Secular
Sacred and Secular

Author: Pippa Norris

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-10-17

Total Pages: 393

ISBN-13: 1139499661

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This book develops a theory of existential security. It demonstrates that the publics of virtually all advanced industrial societies have been moving toward more secular orientations during the past half century, but also that the world as a whole now has more people with traditional religious views than ever before. This second edition expands the theory and provides new and updated evidence from a broad perspective and in a wide range of countries. This confirms that religiosity persists most strongly among vulnerable populations, especially in poorer nations and in failed states. Conversely, a systematic erosion of religious practices, values and beliefs has occurred among the more prosperous strata in rich nations.

The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Europe
The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Europe

Author: Grace Davie

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 871

ISBN-13: 0198834268

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This authoritative collection offers a detailed overview of religious ideas, structures, and institutions in the making of Europe. Written by leading scholars in the field, it demonstrates the enduring presence of lived and institutionalised religion in the social networks of identity, policy, and power over two millennia of European history.

The Role of Religion in Modern Societies
The Role of Religion in Modern Societies

Author: Detlef Pollack

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2012-08-21

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 113415383X

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Does modernization lead to the decline of religion? This question lies at the centre of a key debate in the sociology of religion. During the past decade American scholars, using primarily American data, have dominated this debate and have made a strong case that the answer to this question is no. Recently, however, a new crop of European scholars, working with new sources of European data, have uncovered evidence that points toward an affirmitive answer. This volume pays special attention to these trends and developments to provide the reader with a more well-rounded understanding of the many ways in which religion interacts with modernization. Respected scholars such as David Voas, Steve Bruce and Anthony Gill examine modern societies across the world in this splendid book which will interest sociologists, political scientists, historians, and theologians in equal measure.

The European Culture Area
The European Culture Area

Author: Alexander B. Murphy

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2020-09-01

Total Pages: 459

ISBN-13: 1538127601

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Now in a completely updated, full-color edition, this leading textbook has been thoroughly revised to reflect the sweeping economic, social, and political changes the past decade has brought to Europe and to incorporate new research and teaching approaches in regional geography. The authors have especially expanded their discussion of climate change and other environmental challenges facing Europe; migration and the rise of right-wing populist movements; and Brexit and other issues facing the EU. They employ a cultural-historical approach that is ideally suited to facilitate understanding of Europe’s complex geographical character. Their topical organization—including environment, ethnicity, religion, language, demography, politics, industry, and urban and rural life—offers students a holistic understanding of the diverse cultural area that is Europe. Inclusive, rich in ideas, lively, interesting, and humanistic, The European Culture Area remains the text of choice for courses on the geography of Europe.

Religious Diversity Today
Religious Diversity Today

Author: Jean-Guy A. Goulet

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2015-12-01

Total Pages: 762

ISBN-13:

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This insightful three-volume set examines faith through the social and cultural perspective of anthropology, sociology, and religious studies, shedding light on the role of religion in the human experience. Why is human suffering and the existence of evil part of the human experience? How does religious doctrine establish one's identity? In what ways does religion interact with and shape the social order? This thought-provoking work ponders these questions and explores the concept of religion from various perspectives: as a tool for self and community-based spiritual awareness, as a set of practices that translates faith into interaction with others, and as a cornerstone of society for those who seek to harness—or hinder—its influence. Written in accessible and inviting language, each volume focuses on a particular dimension of religion. The first book examines religious experience in the modern world and explores suffering in religious faiths, the second volume centers around ritual and pilgrimage, and the last book analyzes the controversial relationship between religion and societies. The content features such thought-provoking topics as death and green burials, sexuality and sex trade, and how and why evil manifests in the human experience.

Representing Religion in the European Union
Representing Religion in the European Union

Author: Lucian N. Leustean

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-08-21

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1136271929

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Religious actors are becoming part of the EU bureaucratic system, and their mobilisation in Brussels and Strasbourg in the last decade has increased dramatically. This book explores the mechanism and impact of religious representation by examining relations between religious practitioners and politicians in the European Union from the Second World War until today. This book seeks to answer the following questions: How do (trans)national religious groups enter into contact with European institutions? What are the rationale and the mechanisms of religious representation in the European Union? How are religious values transposed into political strategies? What impact has relations between religious practitioners, EU officials and politicians on the construction of the European Union? Examining religious representation at the state, transnational and institutional levels, this volume demonstrates that ‘faith’ is becoming an increasingly important element of the decision-making process. It includes chapters written by both academics and religious practitioners in dialogue with European institutions and will be of great interest to students and scholars of European politics, history, sociology of religion, law and international relations.

Religion, Politics and Law in the European Union
Religion, Politics and Law in the European Union

Author: Lucian N. Leustean

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-09-13

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1317990811

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EU enlargement - to countries in Central and Eastern Europe in 2004, the inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, and increasing debates on Turkey’s membership - has dramatically transformed the European Union into a multi-religious space. Religious communities are not only shaping identities but are also influential factors in political discourse. This edited volume examines the activities of religious actors in the context of supranational European institutions and the ways in which they have responded to the idea of Europe at local and international levels. By bringing together scholars working in political science, history, law and sociology, this volume analyses key religious factors in contemporary EU architecture, such as the transformation of religious identities, the role of political and religious leaders, EU legislation on religion, and, the activities of religious lobbies. This book was published as a special issue of Religion, State and Society.