Uskonnon Rooli Muuttuvassa Solidaarisuudessa

The present-day societal changes underline the need for research on solidarity; communality is changing. Development, growth and individuality are the core concepts of discussion on several fronts. Yet this discourse is one-sided; individuals are far from being entirely free. Thus, in the present-day Western solidarity the poles of social independence and dependence mix. Similar complexity concerns religion today. On the societal level, religion may not always be very visible but it plays a prominent role in our European cultural memory and continues to shape our traditions and societal life. In the level of individuals, religion has not - by far - vanished either. Quite the contrary, various forms of private religiosity continue to flourish, even increase.

This empirically based research project utilizes innovative multi-method approach, including methods of future research, by each team member. The project will yield fundamentally important and critical knowledge on the present-day role of religion in transforming communality and solidarity both concerning development of theory in theology social sciences, and praxis