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Re-emergence of Religion as a Social Force in Europe?

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Sixth Framework Programme for research and technological development under grant agreement No 510205

The NORFACE transnational research programme on “Re-emergence of Religion as a Social Force in Europe?” probed the condition of religion in Europe against the background of European secularism. Also the programme investigated the re-kindling of religious activity brought about by the political and social changes in Europe of the past thirty years. The ten innovative and methodologically varied academic research projects investigated the significance of religion in contemporary social life. Furthermore they explored the social and cultural impacts of recent religious growth points, such as Islam and Pentecostalism. New theories and methods were designed to explain the ways in which religion and faith are re-emerging.

“Re-emergence of Religion as a Social Force in Europe” was the first major transnational research programme of NORFACE. The European Commission provided top-up funding to this joint research programme.

The Religion programme (2007-2010) had several scientific objectives:

  • To support excellent research in NORFACE partner countries;
  • To promote and support coordination between researchers from NORFACE partner countries, especially researchers early in their careers;
  • To coordinate scattered capacities funded through the NORFACE partner agencies within the theme of the research programme;
  • To build on an area where the NORFACE countries working together have an opportunity to contribute to the development of the social sciences globally;
  • To increase the visibility of European social science research on a specified theme.

In addition, the objectives of the capacity building projects were:

  • To improve cross-border collaboration in capacity building through researcher training;
  • To improve the participation of young and early-career researchers in NORFACE activities;
  • To encourage creative thinking in developing capacity building schemes.

Ten research projects and two capacity building projects were funded under this programme. The research projects investigated the significance of religion in contemporary social life and explored the social and cultural impacts of recent religious growth points. New theories and methods were designed to explain the ways in which religion and faith are re-emerging.