Illustrates the relationship between religion and society across the whole of modern Europe. Traces the evolution of secular states from the religious societies of the past. Reveals convergence in religious experience between different countries across the continent.

Part I: The Heritage and the Break. 1. An All-Christian Europe. 2. The Tradition Regime. 3. The Breach. Part II: Permanent Facts. 4. 'The Religious Question' : Issues at Stake. 5. Opposing Forces and Traditions. 6. Rome and Papacy. 7. Religion and Nation. Two Universal Realities. Part III: The Liberal Era of Secularization. 8. From Confessional State to State Neutrality. 9. From the Liberal State to Separation. Part IV: The Second Era of Secularization. 10. Lasting Elements. 11. Factors of Renewal. 12. The Other Aspect of Secularization: The Churches' Independence. 13. An Amicable Secularization. 14. A Latent Secularization. 15. Today and Tommorrow. Bibliography. Suggestions for Further Reading (in English). Index.

This book examines the relationship between religion and society in Europe in the last 200 Years. At the end of the eighteenth century, Europe was dominated by Christianity and the institutions of state rested on their relationship with the church. Today, society retains many links with the past, but the rise of secular society has led to a new dynamic between European peoples, institutions of government and the church. Through this lively and broad-ranging survey, René R&eacutemond shows the processes by which religious belief and practice in European society evolved and how these developments have affected politics and the machinery of the state. The author considers Europe in its widest geographical sense, giving equal weight to the evolution of Eastern and Western parts of the continent. He compares and contrasts religious practice and social attitudes across Europe, from Northern Ireland to the Balkans. The book reveals unexpected convergence, presenting a pan-European model of the relations between religion and society.

"A lucid analysis in a small compass, centred around a convincing theme...The book stands as an elegant work of analysis and interpretation, organizing apparently disparate events into meaningful patterns, and constituting a definitive framework into which new work on contemporary religious history may be fitted." Times Literary Supplement "A valuable historical overview to how secularization has developed in two centuries of European history." Journal of Religion "Remond provides one of the most lucid accounts of the history of secularisation in modern Europe, and tells the story in such a lively and readable style." Muslim World Book Review