"Religion and Politics" – Cluster of Excellence at the UNiversity of Münster

According to new studies in the sociology of religion, the importance of religion and religious institutions has declined dramatically across the world in recent years. “Increasing secularization, i.e. the decline of religious ties, affects not only regions of Western Europe, where these trends have long been observed, but also former religious strongholds such as Poland and the US, as well as South Korea and Japan. This also applies to predominantly Muslim countries in North Africa, Turkey and Iran”, says sociologist of religion Prof. Dr. Detlef Pollack. He and his colleague Dr. Gergely Rosta have published a greatly expanded and revised new edition of their standard work “Religion and Modernity: An International Comparison” with Campus Verlag.  Read more

According to an international study by the University of Münster, the question of whether people become religious or non-religious at a time of religious decline in society depends very much on the family. “Our surveys and family interviews in Germany, Finland, Italy, Canada, and Hungary show that, in all countries, religion is passed on to the younger generation above all when the family cultivates a religious self-image, engages in joint religious practices such as prayer or singing, and when both parents belong to the same denomination – the most important role in religious socialization is played by mothers”, explain sociologists of religion Christel Gärtner, Linda Hennig and Olaf Müller. Read more

On Thursday, 22 May 2025, the German Research Foundation (DFG) announced the results of the first funding round of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments: the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” will not receive further funding. “In recent years, the Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics’ has produced internationally acclaimed research that has contributed much to our understanding of complex social relationships. It is regrettable that no further funding will be provided”, said Rector Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels. Read more