Religion Italian Style: Continuities and Changes in a Catholic Country

by Franco Garelli

Overview

Italy’s traditional subcultures - Communist, Socialist, Liberal, Republican, Right-wing - have largely dissolved and yet Catholics have retained their vitality and solidity. How can the vast majority of Italians continue to maintain some connection with Catholicism? How much is the Italian situation influenced by the closeness of the Vatican? Examining the religious condition of contemporary Italy, Religion Italian Style argues that the relationship between religion and society in Italy has unique characteristics when compared with what is happening in other European Catholic Countries. Exploring key topics and religious trends which question how the population feel - from the laity and the role of religions in the public sphere, to moral debates, forms of religious pluralism, and new spiritualities - this book questions how these affect religious life, and how intricately religion is interwoven with the nation’s fabric and the dynamics of the whole society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317067412
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/08/2016
Series:	AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	244
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Franco Garelli is Full Professor of Sociology of Culture and Sociology of Religion at the University of Turin, where he is the Director of the Department 'Culture, Politics and Society'. Previously, he served for six years as Dean of the Political Sciences Faculty at the same University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: the Italian way to religious modernity; From certain faith to uncertain faith: transformations of belief; Religious experience and religious life; Highs and lows of religious experience; Italians and the Church: near and far; The god of small things? Between Catholicism and alternative spiritualities; The Italian approach to a secular society; Religiosity in politics and in ethics; An increasingly plural divinity; Methodological appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'Franco Garelli's book will be welcomed with enthusiasm by specialists and general readers alike for the clarity and energy with which it analyses a wealth of information about so many aspects of continuity and change in Italian religion. His analysis is not only eloquent and cogent but also based on a firm grasp of theoretical debates.' James A. Beckford, University of Warwick, UK 'Garelli's book provides a wide range of vital information on the state of religion in Italy, making it a critical resource for scholars of the region.' Catholic Books Review

From the Publisher