Georgetown University Press Religion and the Struggle for European Union: Confessional Culture and the Limits of Integration (Religion and Politics series)

Nelsen and Guth contend that religion, or "confessional culture," plays a powerful role in shaping European ideas about politics, attitudes toward European integration, and national and continental identities in its leaders and citizens. Catholicism has for centuries promoted the unity of Christendom, while Protestantism has valued particularity and feared Catholic dominance. These confessional cultures, the authors argue, have resulted in two very different visions of Europe that have deeply influenced the process of postwar integration. Catholics have seen Europe as a single cultural entity that is best governed by a single polity; Protestants have never felt part of continental culture and have valued national borders as protectors of liberties historically threatened by Catholic powers. Catholics have pressed for a politically united Europe; Protestants have resisted sacrificing sovereignty to federal institutions, favoring pragmatic cooperation. Despite growing secularization of the continent, not to mention the impact of Islam, confessional culture still exerts enormous influence. And, the authors conclude, European elites must recognize the enduring significance of this Catholic-Protestant cultural divide as the EU attempts to solve its social and economic and political crises. Review Religion and the Struggle for European Union is refreshing and counter-intuitive for three main reasons. First, it reveals how religious identities and cleavages are essential for even an archetypal humanist project--the European Union. Second, it problematizes the deeply conceived notion of Europe as the paramount example of socio-political secularization. Finally, it discusses possibilities and limitations for the integration of Orthodox and Muslim groups into the supranational European identity, which was originally promoted by Catholics and doubted by Protestants.--Ahmet Kuru, author of Secularism and State Policies toward Religion: The United States, France, and Turkey This is a superlative book. Nelsen and Guth have taken a novel, imaginative approach to the prospects for the European Union, which is among the most important global issues of the 21st century. Nelsen and Guth combine broad historical and theoretical perspectives with nuanced and insightful data analyses. This is an excellent illustration of the subtle and indirect ways in which religion can influence apparently secular political phenomena.--Ted Jelen, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Two top American scholars join forces to explore European complexities in a both distanciated and intimate way. This book is a striking illustration of the significance of religion as a whole and of the resilience of diverse confessional cultures in the 'longue durée.' A must-read for anybody willing to understand contemporary politics in the European Union.--Francois Foret, Professor of Political Science, Jean Monnet Chair, Director of CEVIPOL, CEVIPOL/Institute for European Studies, Université Libre de Bruxelles A provocative and original analysis that might help launch further debate on the historical origins of today's conflicts over the EU.--Foreign Affairs A rich volume, full of copious references to what is now a wide and complex body of literature(s) . . . By combining the insights of a wide range of valuable sources, the argument is developed with considerable acuity and force.--Journal of Church and State A significant accomplishment and an important contribution to the fields of comparative politics, religion and politics, and European politics and history.--Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion Offers an insightful analytical approach . . . Remarkable . . . A vitally important contribution to scholarship on the relations between religion and politics in Europe.--Religion, State, and Society They build a compelling, coherent argument. Their narrative is rich with quotations that blend reli