Conference on "Religion in the Public Sphere" in Aarhgus May 2008
The conference in the press:
Religion, however, did not disappear, but we saw an resurgence of religion:
We are moving from an uneasy modus vivendi to a balance between shared citizenship and cultural difference. Tolerance is not only a question of legislation but of practice in everyday life. We witness a "Kulturkampf" between radical multiculturalism and militant secularism: Defence of cultural identities versus inclusion of minorities in existing political framework. What we need in a "post-secular society" are complementary leaning processes betwen religious and secular mentalities. Learning processes both on the religious and the secular side. "Secular citizens are expected not to exclude a fortiori that they may discover even in religious utterances semantic contents and overt personal intuitions that can be translated and introduced into a secular discourse".
In spite of the ongoing secularization churches have not lost their significance as markers of religious identity. Davie here focused on her concept of vicarious religion, by which she means “the notion of religion performed by an active minority but on behalf of a much larger number, who (implicitly at least) not only understand, but, quite clearly, approve of what the minority is doing.” Among other things this involves that churches offer space for debate regarding particular and often controversial topics that are difficult to address elsewhere in society. The concept of vicarious religion helps us to understand how religious institutions matter even to those who are not “participating” in them in the conventional sense of the term. Vicarious religion, however, is not found in the US.
Davie furthermore observed that the nature of churchgoing is changing in modern Europe – from a culture of obligation or duty to a culture of consumption or choice. This development is compatible with the concept of vicarious religion. “The churches need to be there in order that I may attend them if I so chose.” Davie found that two type of churches are thriving in terms of churchgoers,i.e., conservative evangelical churches and cathedrals or city-center churches. The common feature of the two is the experiential or “feel-good” factor whether this be expressed in charismatic worship or in the tranquillity of cathedral evensong. The point is that wee feel something, we experience the sacred, the set apart. The purely cerebral is less appealing.
The final factor in the complicated mosaic of religion in Europe in the 21st century is the new arrivals, the growing number of immigrants in almost all European societies. One of the major effects of this for the religious life in Europe is the growing presence of other faith communities in general and of the Muslim population in particular. Their presence is challenging some deeply held European assumptions, in particular the notion that faith is a private matter and should, therefore, be proscribed from public life. This has reopened the debate of religion in the public sphere.
In conclusion Davie noted that the religious situation in Europe will remain distinctive (if not exceptional) given the legacies of the past, but it will now remain static. How the situation will change is difficult to predict. Davie, however, thinks that vicarious religion will endure at least until the mdi-century, but not for much longer. She knows that the presence of Isdlam is a crucal factor that we ignore at our peril. Not only does it offer an additional choice, but it has become a catalyst of a much more profound change in the religious landscape of Europe. Finally, she concludes that the importance of religion in the private as well as public sphere will not decrease but rather increase. This tendency is encouraged by the ver more obvious presence of religion in the modern world order. In this respect, the world is more likely to influence the religious life of Europe than the other way round.
Photos from conference
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Post-secular societies are societies which have undergone structural secularization, but where religions still play a significant role. The public consciousness of "post-secular societies" is influenced by: