Books

Europe: The Exceptional Case: Parameters Of Faith In The Modern World

Reviewed by Anthony Cappello

Contents - Jul 2003 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The pivotal roles of Saints Peter and Paul - Michael Gilchrist Archbishop Hart defends woman in euthanasia case - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Books: AD2000 to distribute Ignatius Press titles in Australia from July - Peter Westmore Homily: Bicentenary Mass celebrated in Sydney - Archbishop George Pell Events: Seeking the face of Christ through the arts: Carnivale Christi goes national - Nicholas Rynne Orthodox Anglicans close ranks to preserve faith - Nigel Zimmermann Catholic Literature: Hilaire Belloc's 50th anniversary: is he 'yesterday's man'? - Br Christian Moe FSC Brisbane Synod ends: Archbishop Bathersby to announce pastoral programs - AD2000 REPORT The concentration camp prisoner who became a Queensland priest - Warren Losberg How to start a parish apologetics group - Mavis Power School sacramental programs: evangelise Catholic families first - Fr John Speekman TMC: Adelaide Thomas More Centre Autumn School a success - Emma Benz Letters: Apostolate (letter) - Fr Adrian Head Letters: Obstacles to confession (letter) - M.G.A. De Wolf Letters: Catholic heritage (letter) - Sue Russell Letters: Church design (letter) - Michael Baradinsky Letters: Lenten program (letter) - Robert Osmak Letters: Success in WA (letter) - Deidre Lyra Letters: New Mass (letter) - Peter D. Howard Letters: Misunderstood (letter) - Elsie Cunningham Letters: New religion (letter) - Br Jim Ward CFC Letters: Catholic visionary? (letter) - Richard Congram Letters: Pell biography feedback (letter) - Mary Lou Corboy Letters: Catholic books (letter) - F. Carleton Letters: Research help - Dolores Lightbody Letters: Conversions (letter) - Margaret Holgate Books: Marriage And Modernization, by Don Browning - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Books: The Prenatal Person: Ethics from Conception to Birth - Dr Ted Watt (reviewer) Books: Europe: The Exceptional Case: Parameters Of Faith In The Modern World - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: Great books at the best prices! - Anthony Cappello Reflection: The meaning of vocation for baptised Christians - Archbishop Philip Wilson

EUROPE: THE EXCEPTIONAL CASE: Parameters of Faith in the Modern World by Grace Davie

(Darton, Longman & Todd, 2002, 180pp, $29.95. Available from AD Books)

The present book is the latest from the hand of Grace Davie, Reader in Sociology at the University of Exeter. Her previous title, Religion in Britain in 1945, explored the post-war religious practices of Britain.

In that volume, the picture of Britain and its religious practices was grim and in this volume religious practice is further declining.

In the present volume, Davie looks at religion from a global perspective, and reaches the conclusion that outside Europe, religious practice world-wide is on the increase.

While the tendency with such a conclusion is to ring alarm-bells and blame secularisation as the culprit, a more enlightened interpretation is that Europeans, particularly Catholics, are still in the main believers.

The exceptions are the predominantly non-Catholic countries such as England, Germany and Scandinavia.

France, on the other hand, is at odds with all of Europe.

The data contained in this volume testifies to this.

In the case of frequency of church attendance in Catholic countries, we find that in Ireland 56% attend weekly, in Italy 41%, Portugal 36% and Spain 25%. In non-Catholic nations the figure for Great Britain is 14%, Sweden 3.8% and Denmark 2.7%: while in France only 7.6% attend weekly. The European average is 20%.

What of basic questions such as belief in God? In Ireland, Italy and Portugal the figure for believers is around 90%; in Great Britain it is 71%, while Sweden rates 53.4%.

The overall European average of belief in Heaven is 46.3%, while 33.9% believe in Hell. The Italians and the Irish are the strongest Catholic believers and the Swedes and French are the least likely to believe.

So what conclusions are to be drawn?

With belief in God still relatively high, there is a hope and a challenge. The challenge is to engage in the new evangelisation, proclaimed by Pope John Paul II.

Davie's book clearly sets out the task facing the Christian Churches, particularly in Europe.

Anthony Cappello is National Secretary of the Thomas More Centre.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 16 No 6 (July 2003), p. 18