Description
Book SynopsisFor over two centuries, Christendom has declined in Western Europe, as we have moved gradually towards a society where a huge variety of religious and non-religious options are available. This 2003 book discusses this decline, showing where we are now, how we got there, and offering some predictions for the future.
Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: 'This book is a very timely contribution to an understanding of the concept of Christendom … This is an important book … a potentially very valuable resource for informing effective Christian engagement with the realities of contemporary European culture and society.' Church Times
Review of the hardback: '… a very stimulating collection …' Church of England Newspaper
Review of the hardback: '… offers significant insights into the ways in which the place of Christianity in western European life changed during the period … the book bristles with ideas and insights … invaluable for the perspectives that they offer.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History
Review of the hardback: 'Hugh McLeod is the doyen of British social historians of modern religion, and once again he has put together a valuable collection of articles on the theme of secularization … an impressive collection of insights into Europe's chequered religious history.' Theology
Review of the hardback: 'In a world where many collections of papers are a curate's egg, it is a real pleasure to read a volume so well put-together.' Review of Religion and Theology
Table of Contents1. Introduction Hugh McLeod; Part I: 2. The secularisation decade: what the 1960s have done to the study of religious history Callum G. Brown; 3. Christendom in decline: the Swedish case Eva M. Hamberg; 4. New Christianity: indifference and diffused spirituality Yves Lambert; Part II: 5. Established churches and the growth of religious pluralism: a case study of Christianisation and secularisation in England since 1700 David Hempton; 6. Catholicism in Ireland Sheridan Gilley; 7. Long-term religious developments in the Netherlands, c. 1750–2000 Peter Van Rooden; 8. The potency of 'Christendom': The example of the 'Darmstädter Wort' (1947) Martin Greschat; Part III: 9. The dechristianisation of death in modern France Thomas Kselman; 10. The impact of technology on Catholicism in France (1850–1950) Michel Lagrée; 11. Semantic structures of religious change in modern Germany Lucian Hölscher; Part IV: 12. Master-narratives of long-term religious change Jeffery Cox; 13. A missiological postscript Werner Ustorf.
