The Changing Soul of Europe: Religions and Migrations in Northern and Southern Europe (Ashgate AHRC ESRC Religion and Society Series)

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? Introduction. Part I. Theoretical Remarks. Religion in motion: migration, religion and social theory / Enzo Pace New economy, migration and social change: the impact on religion / Josâe Madureira Pinto Immigrant religions and the context of reception in advanced industrial societies / Tuomas Martikainen Part II. Religion and Migration in Europe. Case Studies: Migration and ethno-religious identity in contemporary Greece: the role of the Orthodox Church / Elisabeth A. Diamantopoulou How the Portuguese Catholic Church is dealing with newcomers: the particular case of Eastern European immigrants / Helena Vilaðca Beyond parishes: challenges of Catholic-Christian second generations / Roberta Ricucci Ethnic and religious diversities in Portugal: the case of Brazilian Evangelical immigrants / Donizete Rodrigues Accommodation and tension: African Christian communities and their Swedish hosts / Anne Kubai Young Muslim women's public self-representations: a new generation of Italians seeking legitimacy / Annalisa Frisina Values and religion in transition: a case study of a Swedish multicultural public school / Per Pettersson Hijab street fashion and style in Oslo / Inger Furseth Religiosity and ethnicity: Vietnamese immigrant religion in Denmark / J2rn Borup Conclusion Index. Edited By Helena Vilaça, Enzo Pace, Inger Furseth, Per Pettersson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.