Religious America, Secular Europe?: A Theme and Variations - Tapa dura

Europe is a relatively secular part of the world in global terms. Why is this so? And why is the situation in Europe so different from that in the United States? These are the key questions considered in this book; key questions (the theme) clearly articulated in the first chapter.Subsequent chapters explore the nature of Eurosecularity in more detail (the variations on the theme) - paying attention to its historical, philosophical and institutional dimensions. They also ask how the question of Eurosecularity is related to social difference (class, ethnicity etc.). In each chapter, the similarities and differences with the American case will be carefully examined. The final chapter explores the ways in which these features translate into policy on both sides of the Atlantic. This book is highly topical and relates very directly to the tensions between Europe and America in the present period.

Peter Berger is University Professor of Sociology and Theology at Boston University, he is known all over the world for his work in sociology, including the sociology of religion. He has taught at the New School for Social Research, at Rutgers University, and at Boston College. Grace Davie holds a personal chair in the Sociology of Religion at the University of Exeter. Effie Fokas gained her Ph D from the London School of Economics in 2004. She is currently working as a research assistant at the University of Exeter.