The Meaning of Religion in Contemporary Western Society

The scholarly article examines the meaning of religion in contemporary Western society and reviews the features of religious and cultural life in the West. In today's rapidly changing world, the role of religion in Western society has become more complex. Although Christianity remains the largest religion in the West, the number of its followers has recently declined. This decline is accompanied by a rise in diverse religious and spiritual affiliations and a shift from public to private religious practices, with a stronger focus on individual beliefs and experiences.

A major challenge for contemporary religion is secularization, which suggests that socioeconomic modernization leads to reduced religiosity. While this has been a key concept in sociology, recent studies indicate that factors like fertility rates and migration might be more influential in changing religious landscapes in Western societies. This calls for a more detailed analysis of how modernization, social change, and religious affiliation interact. Additionally, globalization and growing religious and cultural diversity pose further challenges.