This paper examines the concept of ‘Islam in Europe’ alongside that of ‘religion in Europe’, indicating aspects of, and consequences of, the inter-influence between the two. An underlying theme is that there is little value in seeking to understand Islam in Europe as a category on its own, as the state of flux characterising the latter is to a large extent symptomatic of and simultaneously catalytic for the flux around religion-in-general in Europe. This much is evident in engagements with Islam at the supranational (European) level, in debates and policy developments around Islam within individual nation-states, and in local level adaptations to religious plurality traced through empirical studies of the Muslim presence in a number of towns across Europe.
Keywords: Islam; religion in Europe; subsidiarity; pluralism; national identity crises; local policies
Pages 1–17

In Denmark, religion has for generations been a non-issue in public debates. However, as Islam has become the second largest religion over just one generation, religion has become a public issue (Hunter 2002). The rise of Islam is mostly due to immigration, and religious pluralism is therefore associated with integration (European Parliament 2007). Central opinion makers and politicians have reacted to the new challenge of religious pluralism by either trying to exclude religion from the public sphere or by proposing to insulate and expel religions which do not fit into the established model. Islamic identities have thus become suspect as spokespersons for the Danish majority either adhere to a policy of secularism or to a civil religious reference to the Denmark’s Christian heritage. This article presents the major cleavages in the Danish debates about religious pluralism. The study is based on Danish material, such as articles in newspapers, public reports, and web-site discussions.
Keywords: religious pluralism; islamophobia; secularism
Pages 19–36

In Croatia, the relationship of the Catholic Church to the wartime Fascist Ustaša regime has been a bitterly divisive issue. The ecclesiastical leadership does not send official representatives to the main commemoration of the victims of the Ustaša terror, held in April each year at Jasenovac concentration camp, thereby giving the impression that the Church has something to be ashamed of. Indeed, the Church has been accused of complicity in the Ustaša crimes. After considerable vacillation, the Church in September 2009 decided to organize a large priestly pilgrimage to Jasenovac at another date, an event that made big headlines in Croatia. This article chronicles the tortuous road traversed by the Croatian Catholic Church before finally confronting ‘the Jasenovac issue’ head on. The central questions asked are ‘why did it take the Church so long? And what does this tell us about the role of the Catholic Church in Croatian society?
Keywords: Catholic Church; World War Two; Croatia; Ustaša; commemorations
Pages 37–56
 

In the fall 2008 the program Halal-tv, where three young, Muslim women discussed Swedish society and culture, caused several debates in Swedish media. This article analyzes the first debate taking place in op-ed articles in the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet and blog posts linking to these. The analysis focuses on the understandings of the place of religion in public discourse expressed in the debate. The authors conclude that the debate, on the one hand, confirms a polarized understanding of Swedish values as opposed to religious values. On the other hand, there are indications that Halal-tv opened up a space for negotiations of the role of the media in representing religion, and the place of religion in Swedish culture. In analyzing perspectives and issues brought up in the debate this article can contribute to further research on media as arena for negotiations of the place of religion in post-secular society.
Keywords: Islam; religion; public service media; mediatization; public sphere
Pages 57–74

Despite a general decline in religious belief and practice in Europe, questions of national religious heritage have become increasingly salient in recent public debates about immigration and integration. Using data from the 2008 International Social Survey Programme (Religion III module), this study explores associations between individual religiosity and attitudes to immigration in four Western European countries: Great Britain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark. Multivariate analysis reveals contrasting associations. Identifying with a Christian religion makes one more likely to think immigration is a threat to national identity, whereas regular church attendance reduces this effect. Despite national differences, the results from all four countries indicate a prevalence of Cultural or Ethnic Christianity, where religion is used to identify with national traditions or ethnic heritage rather than faith.
Keywords: Christianity; Europe; immigration; national identity; religious identity
Pages 75–96