Download or read book Religions and Churches in a Common Europe written by János Wildmann and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2012-10 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European religious landscape is changing fundamentally. Are we experiencing a decline, revival, recycling or transformation of religion? Moreover, will Europe become a museum of religions or a laboratory of new religious experiences? A group of experts from different disciplines and nationalities, meeting in Pecs, Hungary - the European Capital of Culture 2010 -, examines in detail, the contrasting developments around the religious lives of individuals, communities, institutions, emerging from processes of secularisation, relativisation, and privatisation ("believing without belonging"). What emerges is a picture of very contrasting mega-trends, with positive and negative aspects, characterised, for example, by a sharp decline in traditional situations as well as the emergence of new situations rich of flurries, which are featured mostly under the so-called "creative minorities". On which heritage of ultimate values does the EU and its member states, want to base the cohesion of the new society, while respecting cultural diversities and religious pluralism? What happens in the world of religions cannot be side-lined, if we are looking for an appropriate response. Important indications can be provided by the way in which, the heads of religious institutions, as well as communities and individuals live in "possible dialogue", in a European society that is increasingly multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious. The analysis of on-going experiences in Europe shows that a truly constructive dialogue can give a vital contribution to the strengthening of social cohesion and democracy. But what are the real terms in this confrontation? In other words, what is tolerable? And, what is acceptable? European experts, who have worked with a multidisciplinary and systemic approach of the analysis of these phenomena, attended the initiatives of the European Research Group R.I.P.E. - Religious Innovation and Pluralism in 21st Century Europe, which was founded in 2006, by P

Download or read book Religion in Modern Europe written by Grace Davie and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2000-08-03 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religion in Modern Europe examines religion as a form of collective memory. This is a memory held in place by Europe's institutional churches, educational systems, and the mass media - all of which are themselves responding to rapid social and economic change. Europe's religious memory is approached in the following ways: as vicarious-a particularly European characteristic, as precarious-especially among young people, and as it is portrayed by the media. The memory may fragment, be disputed, and in extreme cases, disappear. Alternatives may emerge. The challenge for European societies is to affirm healthy mutations in religious memory and discourage others. The book also examines the increasing diversity of Europe's religious life. European Societies Series Series Editor: Colin Crouch Very few of the existing sociological texts which compare different European societies on specific topics are accessible to a broad range of scholars and students. The European Societies series will help fill this gap in the literature, and attempt to answer questions such as: Is there really such a thing as a 'European model' of society? Do the economic and political integration processes of the European Union also imply convergence in more general aspects of social life, like family or religious behaviour? What do the societies of Western Europe have in common with those further to the east? This series will cover the main social institutions, although not every author will cover the full range of European countries. As well as surveying existing knowledge in a way that will be useful to students, each book will also seek to contribute to our growing knowledge of what remains in many respects a sociologically unknown continent.

Download or read book Religion in an Expanding Europe written by Timothy A. Byrnes and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-03-23 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With political controversies raging over issues such as the wearing of headscarves in schools and the mention of Christianity in the European Constitution, religious issues are of growing importance in European politics. In this volume, Byrnes and Katzenstein analyze the effect that enlargement to countries with different and stronger religious traditions may have on the EU as a whole, and in particular on its homogeneity and assumed secular nature. Looking through the lens of the transnational religious communities of Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Islam, they argue that religious factors are stumbling blocks rather than stepping stones toward the further integration of Europe. All three religious traditions are advancing notions of European identity and European union that differ substantially from how the European integration process is generally understood by political leaders and scholars. This volume makes an important addition to the fields of European politics, political sociology, and the sociology of religion.

Download or read book God and the EU written by Jonathan Chaplin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-12-14 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The current political, economic and financial crises facing the EU reveal a deeper cultural, indeed spiritual, malaise – a crisis in ‘the soul of Europe’. Many observers are concluding that the ‘soul of Europe’ cannot be restored to health without a new appreciation of the contribution of religion to its past and future, and especially that of its hugely important but widely neglected Christian heritage, which is alive today even amidst advancing European secularization. This book offers a fresh, constructive and critical understanding of Christian contributions to the origin and development of the EU from a variety of theological and national perspectives. It explains the Christian origins of the EU, documents the various ways in which it has been both affirmed and critiqued from diverse theological perspectives, offers expert, theologically-informed assessments of four illustrative policy areas of the EU (trade, finance, environment, science), and also reports on the place of religion in the EU, including how religious freedom is framed and how contemporary religious (including Muslim) actors relate to EU institutions and vice versa. The book fills a major gap in the current debate about the future of the European project and will be of interest to students and scholars of religion, politics and European studies.

Download or read book Church State and Democracy in Expanding Europe written by Lavinia Stan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-08-29 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lavinia Stan and Lucian Turcescu examine the relationship between religion and politics in ten former communist Eastern European countries. Contrary to widespread theories of increasing secularization, Stan and Turcescu argue that in most of these countries, the populations have shown themselves to remain religious even as they embrace modernization and democratization. Church-state relations in the new EU member states can be seen in political representation for church leaders, governmental subsidies, registration of religions by the state, and religious instruction in public schools. Stan and Turcescu outline three major models: the Czech church-state separation model, in which religion is private and the government secular; the pluralist model of Hungary, Bulgaria and Latvia, which views society as a group of complementary but autonomous spheres - for example, education, the family, and religion - each of which is worthy of recognition and support from the state; and the dominant religion model that exists in Poland, Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, in which the government maintains informal ties to the religious majority. Church, State, and Democracy in Expanding Europe offers critical tools for understanding church-state relations in an increasingly modern and democratic Eastern Europe.

Download or read book Religion in Europe at the End of the Second Millennium written by Andrew M. Greeley and published by Transaction Publishers. This book was released on with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 Millenium, engages the complexities of contemporary Europe to present a nuanced picture of religious faith rising, declining, or remaining stable. While challenging the secularization model, Greeley's approach is not polemical. He examines belief in God and in life after death, belief in superstition and magic, convictions about the relations between church and state, attitudes toward religion and science, and the effect of religion on the everyday lives of people. Drawing upon statistical and empirical data spanning twenty years, Greeley shows that while religion has increased in some countries (most notably the former communist countries and especially Russia) in others it has declined (Britain, the Netherlands, and France). In some countries it is relatively unchanged (primarily the traditional Catholic countries), and in still others (some of the social democratic countries) it has both declined and increased. In terms of individuals, Greeley finds that religion becomes more important to people as they age. He observes that surveys showing less religion among the young ignore the possibility that the age correlation is a life cycle matter and not a sign of social change. Patently, religion in Europe changed enormously between the end of the first millenium and the end of the second. In Greeley's judgment, the change has been an improvement, not because superstition has been eliminated (it has not), but because freedom to exercise religious belief has replaced compulsion.

Download or read book Religion in Contemporary Europe written by John Fulton and published by Edwin Mellen Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume, leading academic authorities on the social analysis of religion examine its contemporary role in Europe. The book traces the shifting shape of European religion and reviews the interaction of theology and politics in shaping European cultural identity.

Download or read book Church and Religion in Contemporary Europe written by Gert Pickel and published by Springer-Verlag. This book was released on 2009-09-15 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Religion in the New Europe written by Krzysztof Michalski and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2006-03-20 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The articles in this volume deal with the role of Christianity in the definition of European identity. Europeans often identify advanced civilizations with secularity. But religion is very much alive in other fast developing countries of the world. In Europe, nevertheless, the organized churches very much wanted to stress the Christian character of European identity, and this engendered a lively protest focusing on the perceived threat to the secular European tradition. Also, Europe is facing its greatest cultural challenge in the demand of Turkey to be admitted as a member, and in the demand of many Muslims in Europe, often citizens of the countries in which they live, to be recognized in their difference and at the same time integrated in the European national and supranational institutions.

Download or read book The Changing Soul of Europe written by Helena Vilaça and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-23 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book paves the way for a more enlarged discussion on religion and migration phenomena in countries of Northern and Southern Europe. From a comparative perspective, these are regions with very different religious traditions and different historical State/Church relations. Although official religion persisted longer in Nordic Protestant countries than in South Mediterranean countries, levels of secularization are higher. In the last decades, both Northern and Southern Europe have received strong flows of newcomers. From this perspective, the book presents through various theoretical lenses and empirical researches the impact mobility and consequent religious transnationalism have on multiple aspects of culture and social life in societies where the religious landscapes are increasingly diverse. The chapters demonstrate that we are dealing with complex scenarios: different contexts of reception, different countries of origin, various ethnicities and religious traditions (Catholics, Orthodox and Evangelical Christians, Muslims, Buddhists). Having become plural spaces, our societies tend to be far more concerned with the issue of social integration rather than with that of social identities reconstruction in society as a whole, often ignoring that today religion manifests itself as a plurality of religions. In short, what are the implications of newcomers for the religious life of Europe and for the redesign of its soul?

Download or read book A Turning Point for Europe written by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cardinal Ratzinger addresses the challenges and responsibilities that both the Church and society in Europe face after the collapse of Marxism. Both liberalism and Marxism have denied religion the right to have any influence on public affairs and the common future of humanity. Since there is also a great spiritual emptiness growing in the West with the increased secularization, consumerism and hedonism, Ratzinger's comments apply as much, if not more, to the United States as well. With the downfall of Marxism, religion has been discovered anew as an ineradicable force for both the individual and society. While there is renewed interest in religion, the dangers also exist to lay hold of religion as an instrument to serve various political ideas. Ratzinger, whose theological work has often dealt with the "reasons for our faith:' reflects upon the various problems facing humanity at this turning point of our history and offers genuine hope based upon a deep Christian faith. He also addressed the critical role that the Church has in relationship to the world and the essential task of bringing Christ back into our culture. "In the present situation it is an absolute obligation for the theologian and for the pastor of the Church to enter the disputation about the correct understanding of the present time, and to both clarify faith's own proper sphere and to do justice to the share of responsibility that lies on him at this hour.-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Download or read book After Brexit written by Matthias Grebe and published by Evangelische Verlagsanstalt. This book was released on 2019-07-31 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The political, social and cultural dimensions of European unity are going through a period of unsettling change and challenge. Whatever direction it takes, Brexit marks a crossroad from which there is no easy return to the way things were before. How do the churches of Europe make sense of what is happening, and how should they respond? Is the unity between them, the focus for a century of ecumenical endeavour, a strength on which they can draw, or does that unity itself face new threats? "After Brexit" is a vital resource for all those interested in these questions, bringing together contributions from scholars and church leaders. It reviews the role of the churches in European integration as a post-war project, analyses the current political and social landscape, and identifies key issues for the future of ecumenism in Europe. [Nach dem Brexit? Europäische Einheit und die Einheit der europäischen Kirchen] Die politischen, sozialen und kulturellen Dimensionen der europäischen Integration erleben eine Zeit tiefgreifender Veränderungen und Herausforderungen. In jeder Hinsicht ist der Brexit eine Weichenstellung, die eine Rückkehr zu früheren Verhältnissen nahezu unmöglich macht. Wie sollen die Kirchen in Europa diese Entwicklungen interpretieren und wie darauf reagieren? Ist die Einheit zwischen den Kirchen – die den Fokus auf die ökumenische Zusammenarbeit legt – ein Plus, von dem sie zehren können, oder wird diese Einheit erneut in Frage gestellt? "After Brexit" ist eine reichhaltige Ressource für alle, die sich für diese Fragen interessieren, und beinhaltet Beiträge von Akademikern und Kirchenleitenden. Das Buch hinterfragt die Rolle der Kirchen bei der europäischen Integration als einem Nachkriegsprojekt, analysiert die aktuelle politische und soziale Situation und identifiziert Schlüsselthemen für die Zukunft der Ökumene in Europa.

Download or read book A Theology for Europe written by James Barnett and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2005 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is about the partnership of the Christian churches in their dialogue with the European Institutions. In a context of plurality the discourse between religion, society and political institutions requires a descriptive and reflective theology that is both informed by the received tradition and provisional enough to share the universal quest for truth and justice. Contributors represent many aspects of European culture, history and recent political development. The book confronts European history, the contribution of civil society in gaining freedom from political oppression and the experience of the churches in victory and defeat. In treating discourse between and among people of political conviction and religious faith it adopts an accessible method and addresses politicians, religious leaders and thinkers in a common framework and language.

Download or read book Christianity and European Culture Selections from the Work of Christopher Dawson written by Christopher Dawson and published by CUA Press. This book was released on 1998-09 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the development of Dawson's thinking on questions that remain of contemporary importance

Download or read book Law and Religion in Europe written by Norman Doe and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2011-08-04 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each state in Europe has its own national laws which affect religion and these are increasingly the subject of political and academic debate. This book provides a detailed comparative introduction to these laws with particular reference to the states of the European Union. A comparison of national laws on religion reveals profound similarities between them. From these emerge principles of law on religion common to the states of Europe and the book articulates these for the first time. It examines the constitutional postures of states towards religion, religious freedom, and discrimination, and the legal position, autonomy, and ministers of religious organizations. It also examines the protection of doctrine and worship, the property and finances of religion, religion, education, and public institutions, and religion, marriage, and children, as well as the fundamentals of the emergent European Union law on religion. The existence of these principles challenges the standard view in modern scholarship that there is little commonality in the legal postures of European states towards religion - it reveals that the dominant juridical model in Europe is that of cooperation between State and religion. The book also analyses national laws in the context of international laws on religion, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights. It proposes that national laws go further than these in their treatment and protection of religion, and that the principles of religion law common to the states of Europe may themselves represent a blueprint for the development of international norms in this field. The book provides a wealth of legal materials for scholars and students. The principles articulated in it also enable greater dialogue between law and disciplines beyond law, such as the sociology of religion, about the role of religion in Europe today. The book also identifies areas for further research in this regard, pointing the direction for future study.

Download or read book Expanding Religion written by Miklós Tomka and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does religion in Eastern and Central Europe matter? -- Public opinion on religion and the churches -- Revival? crisis? metamorphosis? : versions of religious change -- A role of religion in the organization of life -- Assortments of religion -- The prospects for religious development.

Download or read book Religion in Public Spaces written by Silvio Ferrari and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely volume discusses the much debated and controversial subject of the presence of religion in the public sphere. The book is divided in three sections. In the first the public/private distinction is studied mainly from a theoretical point of view, through the contributions of lawyers, philosophers and sociologists. In the following sections their proposals are tested through the analysis of two case studies, religious dress codes and places of worship. These sections include discussions on some of the most controversial recent cases from around Europe with contributions from some of the leading experts in the area of law and religion. Covering a range of very different European countries including Turkey, the UK, Italy and Bulgaria, the book uses comparative case studies to illustrate how practice varies significantly even within Europe. It reveals how familiarization with religious and philosophical diversity in Europe should lead to the modification of legal frameworks historically designed to accommodate majority religions. This in turn should give rise to recognition of new groups and communities and eventually, a more adequate response to the plurality of religions and beliefs in European society.