In this course, we will examine the ongoing phenomenon of secularization in Germany and other nations across the world. Commencing with the notion itself, we will initially examine its diverse interpretations before arriving at a definition of secularization as the declining influence of religion. Our focus will be on a selection of empirical studies that explore religious continuity and change in various Western and non-Western countries in Europe and elsewhere. These studies address two important empirical inquiries: 1) whether secularization is a global phenomenon or is limited to a few Western countries that represent an anomaly rather than the norm and 2) whether secularization, predominantly understood as the decline of Christian institutions, implies the disappearance of religion or the emergence of individualized and personalized religious forms. The primary theoretical question we will address is why secularization (defined as the decline of Christian religiosity) occurs in some countries but not in others, and how the process of secularization can be explained. The majority of the literature for this class will be in English, with a few exceptions. Most of our class discussions will also be conducted in English, and students will be encouraged to participate in debates within the classroom, with a tolerant learning environment that welcomes mistakes.
- Lehrende/r: Ines Michalowski