Säkularisierung - ein moderner Mythos?

Can the secularization theory provide an adequate explanation for the current social situation of religion and the church? Detlef Pollack examines how much explanatory power the secularization theory still has and studies the explanatory power of alternative approaches. In doing so, he also analyzes the concept of religion, which is crucial for determining the extent to which a society is aware of religion. The essays focus on empirical studies of religion and church sociology, and these studies are used to examine the validity of the different approaches. The main question here is what social conditions influence changes in religion and conversely what effect religion and the church have on society.