Patterns of Secularization

The politicisation of religion is a central feature of the modern world. Given the recent waves of religious resurgence in every area of the globe, it is currently widely accepted among academic circles that modernity is resulting in a world-wide reaffirmation of religious values. However, while religion is gaining salience in some societies, it is losing ground in others; scholars at the other end of this theoretical debate argue that the consequence of modernisation is often not the resurgence of religious beliefs, but rather, secularisation- the decline of the social and political significance of religion. Drawing on David Martin's "Cultural Defence Paradigm" which expects secularization to be inhibited in cases where religion serves as a carrier of national identity, this comparative study highlights the limits of existing interpretations and identifies variations within the cultural defence paradigm resulting in the emergence of two patterns of secularisation based on an interpretation that takes into account the dynamics of national identity formation: co-optation and confrontation. The emergence of these patterns is contingent upon the relationship between Church-State and Nation. Two interlinked processes shape this relationship: the degree to which a Church obstructs modernisation (Church and State), and external threat perceptions (Church and Nation). To substantiate this theoretical preposition the book examines Greece and the Republic of Ireland as two cultural defence cases with diverging patterns of secularisation. Ireland's current secularization drive is explained in terms of the fluidity of Irish national identity and contrasts with the Greek case where the Church's resilience is linked to an understanding of Greek national identity on ethnic/religious lines. This book demonstrates that for societies where there has been an established core link between religion and national identity, secularization processes are likely if the dynamics of national identity formation change.