
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Definitions and data Definitions and data
-
Origins, timing, and trajectories Origins, timing, and trajectories
-
Four post-war generations Four post-war generations
-
Trends and countertrends Trends and countertrends
-
Two questions Two questions
-
Conclusion Conclusion
-
Works cited Works cited
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15 Religion, Secularity, and Secularization in Europe
Get accessGrace Davie is Professor Emeritus in the Sociology of Religion at the University of Exeter, UK. She has held visiting appointments at Uppsala University, the École Pratique des Hautes Études, and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, and is a member of the Academia Europaea. In addition to numerous chapters, articles, and edited books, she is the author of Religion in Britain since 1945 (Blackwell, 1994); Religion in Modern Europe (Oxford University Press, 2000); Europe: The Exceptional Case (2002); The Sociology of Religion (Sage, 2013); and Religion in Britain: A Persistent Paradox (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015).
-
Published:08 December 2021
Cite
Abstract
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.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 16 |
November 2022 | 16 |
December 2022 | 23 |
January 2023 | 15 |
February 2023 | 8 |
March 2023 | 14 |
April 2023 | 4 |
May 2023 | 16 |
June 2023 | 10 |
July 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 19 |
September 2023 | 26 |
October 2023 | 24 |
November 2023 | 21 |
December 2023 | 15 |
January 2024 | 18 |
February 2024 | 7 |
March 2024 | 25 |
April 2024 | 30 |
May 2024 | 20 |
June 2024 | 7 |
July 2024 | 6 |
August 2024 | 8 |
September 2024 | 6 |
October 2024 | 18 |
November 2024 | 22 |
December 2024 | 16 |
January 2025 | 19 |
February 2025 | 10 |
March 2025 | 11 |
April 2025 | 20 |
May 2025 | 4 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.