The Religious Argument in Europe: The Explanation Aggregate of Religion and National Identity in Europe

The relationship of religion and Europe most often evokes two theses: (i) Europe is widely considered as a secular continent and (ii) its nation-states and institutions are shaped by confessional cultures going back to different denominations. Both theses are supported by scientific master narratives that are intertwined with ideas about the particular path of European modernity. A closer empirical look on the basis of the European Values Survey 2008 data discloses that these two narratives do not mirror the complex reality of religion in Europe. Religion still matters in Europe but is moderated by country-specific characteristics of the church-state-relation and denominational homogeneity. The classical gap between Catholicism and Protestantism seems to be lost. Our analysis is a contribution to a more complex understanding of how religion still shapes Europe and identities in Europe.