What binds contemporary Europeans together in terms of cultural values that go beyond a common interest in economic growth? In a time of resurging nationalist movements all over Europe, the need for what former President of the European Commission Jacques Delors called a "soul for Europe" has become more urgent than ever. In this volume, Delors's 25 years old appeal to the churches is taken seriously. In particular, contributions to a common sense of belonging that have been made by the traditions of European Protestantism are carefully investigated. In nineteen case studies, topics and areas as varied as theological identity, religious tolerance, political philosophy, ethics, the arts, the scientific mentality, and the economy are covered. It appears that despite the rise of religious pluralism throughout Europe, aspects of the Protestant ethos continue to be key to societal cohesion in many places. Mit Beiträgen von Ibolya Balla, Henk van den Belt, Jasper Bosman, Gijsbert van den Brink, Ad de Bruijne, Gerard den Hertog, Zsolt Görözdi, Theo L. Hettema, Hans-Martin Kirn, Jenö Kiss, Leo Koffeman, Henri A. Krop, Yelena Mazour-Matusevich, Olga Navrátilová, Henk P. de Roest, Herman Speelman, Willem van Vlastuin, Pieter Vos und Heleen Zorgdrager. [Protestantische Traditionen und die Seele Europas] Welche gemeinsamen Werte verbinden uns im heutigen Europa über ökonomische Interessen hinaus? Vor dem Hintergrund der heute vielerorts in Europa aufflammenden nationalistischen Bestrebungen ist der Bedarf nach einer "Seele für Europa", wie der frühere Vorsitzende der Europäischen Kommission Jaques Delors es nannte, drängender denn je. In diesem Band wird Delors' vor einem Vierteljahrhundert geäußerten Appell an die Kirchen darum ernst genommen. Besonders Beiträge zum gemeinsamen Bewusstsein der Zusammengehörigkeit in der protestantischen Tradition werden sorgfältig untersucht und geprüft. In neunzehn Fallstudien werden Themen und Bereiche wie theologische Identität, religiöse Toleranz, politische Philosophie, Ethik, Kunst, wissenschaftliche Haltung und Ökonomie in den Blick genommen. Es zeigt sich, dass trotz des Anwachsens eines religiösen Pluralismus überall in Europa, Aspekte des protestantischen Ethos wesentlich zur gesellschaftlichen Kohäsion beitragen.

Latest from Olivier Roy offering a brilliant analysis of Europe's ongoing culture wars over identity, immigration and Islam, and what these mean for Christianity. As populism rises and historic identities are hotly contested, the idea of the 'Christian West' is under the spotlight.

This book paves the way for a more enlarged discussion on religion and migration phenomena in countries of Northern and Southern Europe. From a comparative perspective, these are regions with very different religious traditions and different historical State/Church relations. Although official religion persisted longer in Nordic Protestant countries than in South Mediterranean countries, levels of secularization are higher. In the last decades, both Northern and Southern Europe have received strong flows of newcomers. From this perspective, the book presents through various theoretical lenses and empirical researches the impact mobility and consequent religious transnationalism have on multiple aspects of culture and social life in societies where the religious landscapes are increasingly diverse. The chapters demonstrate that we are dealing with complex scenarios: different contexts of reception, different countries of origin, various ethnicities and religious traditions (Catholics, Orthodox and Evangelical Christians, Muslims, Buddhists). Having become plural spaces, our societies tend to be far more concerned with the issue of social integration rather than with that of social identities reconstruction in society as a whole, often ignoring that today religion manifests itself as a plurality of religions. In short, what are the implications of newcomers for the religious life of Europe and for the redesign of its soul?

The first survey to utilise the approaches of the new cultural history in analysing how Reformation Europe came about.

The important role of liberal ecumenical Protestantism in American history The role of liberalized, ecumenical Protestantism in American history has too often been obscured by the more flamboyant and orthodox versions of the faith that oppose evolution, embrace narrow conceptions of family values, and continue to insist that the United States should be understood as a Christian nation. In this book, one of our preeminent scholars of American intellectual history examines how liberal Protestant thinkers struggled to embrace modernity, even at the cost of yielding much of the symbolic capital of Christianity to more conservative, evangelical communities of faith. If religion is not simply a private concern, but a potential basis for public policy and a national culture, does this mean that religious ideas can be subject to the same kind of robust public debate normally given to ideas about race, gender, and the economy? Or is there something special about religious ideas that invites a suspension of critical discussion? These essays, collected here for the first time, demonstrate that the critical discussion of religious ideas has been central to the process by which Protestantism has been liberalized throughout the history of the United States, and shed light on the complex relationship between religion and politics in contemporary American life. After Cloven Tongues of Fire brings together in one volume David Hollinger's most influential writings on ecumenical Protestantism. The book features an informative general introduction as well as concise introductions to each essay.

Ratzinger--now Pope Benedict XVI--exercises his role as teacher and spiritual leader with this impressive work on the crucial topics of the relationship between religion, morality, culture, truth and politics in these troubled times. (Catholic)

Sanja Ivic offers a philosophical analysis of the concept of European values from the origin of this concept to the present day. This book rethinks European values in light of the various crises that the European Union (EU) has faced since 2008 and analyzes EU initiatives to create a new narrative for Europe.