Public Religions in the Modern World

Recommended by Raúl Zegarra, Assistant Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies, Harvard Divinity School

In times of democratic erosion and concern about the role of religion in the U.S. and abroad, reading this classic of the sociology of religion can give us new insight and perspective. Casanova’s highly influential account can be summarized in two steps, both of which may be counterintuitive for some. First, he argues that religion around the globe is not declining but growing. Therefore, we need to rethink what secularization means. Second, religion can be a force for positive social change when it enters the public sphere. Casanova demonstrates this with great theoretical sophistication and with strong evidence coming from places as diverse as Spain, Poland, Brazil, and the U.S.