First published in 1982, Religion in West European Politics explores the possibilities for new politics following the gradual unravelling of the old ties between religion and conservatism that had largely characterised the politics of religion in Western Europe in the two centuries following the French Revolution.
Together, the essays in this volume assess the causes of the simultaneous decline in traditional forms of religious practice and expansion of Left political attitudes and behaviour, moving away from simplified notions that these changes can be attributed just to processes such as modernisation or industrialisation. In doing so, the book raises questions about the effects that the detachment of religion from its traditional moorings may have on politics in Western European states, and the impact it may have on the socialisation of future generations.