Read more
This volume provides a coherent critical examination of current issues related to the religious roots of contemporary, i.e. post-1990 European identity, by analyzing the components of contemporary European identity, the presence of religion in the development of national identities, manifestation of religious roots in secular society, and the role of religion in further European integration and social inclusion. The book involves a multi and interdisciplinary approach to the theme, by bringing together scholars in history, religious studies, sociology, cultural studies, European studies, and international relations. This rigorously edited volume provides a coherent analysis of the religious roots of Europe''s identity today, with particular attention to the secular context of religious communities. Europe is often perceived as secular by most of its citizens, regardless of their creed. Bearing this in mind, the authors build upon their expertise in different fields of arts and humanities to identify some of the key elements of European religious heritage and its manifestation in Europe''s identity, be it secular or otherwise perceived. The authors also indicate the role these elements play in further European integration. With this focused approach, the publication identifies a number of similarities across faiths and, more holistically, vis-a-vis Europe. This serves the readers to perceive their own identity in a wider context of shared values, reaching beyond a particular faith or non-religious framework.
List of contents
Table of contents:
Acknowledgements
Preface
Ján Figel
Introduction: The Religious Roots of Contemporary European Identity
Lucia Faltin
The Islamic Challenge to European Identity'/ 'Does Islam Challenge European Identity?
Sara Silvestri
Re-viewing My Son the Fanatic (Udayan Prasad, 1997) after 7/7; or, Roots, Routes, and Rhizomes
Melanie J. Wright
>English Church and the Non-Catholic Cults in the Florence of the Risorgimento
Penny Mittler
At the European roots of the inter-religious dialogue between Christian Orthodoxy and Judaism: history, the study of images, and modernity
Philippe Gardette
Historical Memory: Blessing or Burden? Russian Orthodox Christians in the Modern World
Irina Levinskaya
The Russian Orthodox Church and the European Union; Constructing a Russian Orthodox identity in Europe
Grant S. White
The impact of post-1989 changes on Polish-Jewish relations and perceptions: memories and debates
Slawomir Kapralski
Memory and Civic Education: Holocaust and coming to terms with national history
Jolanta Ambrosewicz-Jacobs
The Roman Catholic Church in Poland and the Dynamics of Social Identity in Polish Society
Zdzislaw Mach
The Europe of citizens vis-a-vis the Europe of nation states
Milan Lycka
The Religious Society of Czech Unitarians (RSCU) and the construction of Czech national identity
Andrew Brown
Pope Benedict XVI Europe and Interreligious Dialogue: A Theological Contribution
Patrick Morrow
The Quarrel over the Religious Roots of European Identity in the European Constitution and the Nature of Historical Explanation: A Catholic Coign of Vantage
Paul Kerry
Interfaith Dialogue
Stanislaw Krajewski
Afterword: How secular is Europe today?
Tomás Halík
Bibliography
About the Authors
About the author
Lucia Faltin: Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations; Director of International Programmes and Coordinator of a course on History of Jewish-Christian Relations in the Master of Studies programme, University of Cambridge, UK.
Melanie J. Wright was Academic Director of the Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations, and a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the Open University, UK. She is the author of numerous articles and books including
Understanding Judaism (Orchard Academic), and
Religion and Film: An Introduction (I. B. Tauris). With Lucia Faltin she co-edited
The Religious Roots of Contemporary European Identity, which is also published by Continuum.
