Religiosität in Deutschland und Europa – Religiöse Pluralisierung und Säkularisierung auf soziokulturell variierenden Pfaden

Abstract

Religiosity in Germany and Europe -Religious pluralization and secularization on socio-cultural and varying pathsAbstract In the last decades, the development of religion in Europe takes three paths: Secularization, religious pluralization and individualization. The article presents an empirical overview of these three developments, embedded in the G. Pickel ( ) Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Deutschland E-Mail: pickel@rz.uni-leipzig.de K 38 G. Pickel current general theories of religious development. The main results are: There is a dominant process of a path-dependent secularization in Germany and Western Europe. Secularization is an integral part of a broader process of religious pluralization, mainly triggered by immigration. The driving force is the ongoing socioeconomic modernization, but also political, social and cultural circumstances. It is possible to identify clear mechanisms, why these processes take place -and why secularization and a rising political relevance of religion in the political discussion is no contradiction. The main question for the future of religion in Europe will be how to manage the greater diversity in society and what the consequences of the reactivation of collective identities with reference to (other) religious groups are.

Covid‐19‐Related Conspiracy Myths, Beliefs, and Democracy‐Endangering Consequences

“…Almost one-half of the population in Germany believes that the current crisis is a sign from nature, urging a return to a (fictional) state of nature or indicating the dawn of a new era. Religion no longer enjoys such appeal among German citizens due to the ongoing process of secularization (Pickel, 2017). While three out of ten citizens continue to believe in God or something divine, only a small minority participates in religious ceremonies or activities regularly.…”

Similar yet not the Same: Right-Wing Populist Parties' Stances on Religion in Germany and the Netherlands

“…At the same time, the degree of secularization in the Netherlands has increased rapidly, which is also considerably higher than in Germany (Pickel 2017). In this context, Knippenberg maintains that “the Netherlands is an interesting case because it combines a multi-confessional tradition with strong secularisation” (2006, 318).…”

Religión en los procesos de integración: una mirada a la migración mexicana en Alemania

“…En efecto, el contexto alemán al cual se enfrentan mexicanos y mexicanas en su proceso de integración presenta la conjunción de tres patrones generales observados en las últimas décadas en Europa Occidental: la secularización, la pluralización religiosa y la tendencia a la individualización en las prácticas y creencias espirituales (Pickel, 2017). En términos de afiliación, 43% de los alemanes se identificaron con el catolicismo, 28% con la denominación protestante y 24% con ninguna religión.…”