Cultural religion: patterns of contemporary majority religion in Denmark

Abstract

ABSTRACT Denmark offers a unique context for exploring patterns of religion among the majority population. In the research of contemporary religion in Europe, many concepts have been developed in the attempt to capture a complex pattern of affiliation, practices, and beliefs among the majority populations in Western Europe. In a Scandinavian setting, however, one such concept, ‘cultural religion’, has appeared in several situations with various foci and emphases. This article analyses the use of ‘cultural religion’ and, more specifically, cultural Christianity through three different inquiries. We examine data from a qualitative method (focus group interviews). Building upon this study, we then analyse quantitative data from a survey, which is followed by an analysis of the concept in the public discourse. On the basis of the three case studies, we argue that, in the Danish sense of ‘cultural religion’, this is a term denoting national identity, shared values, emotions, and traditions. We raise the question how to use the terminology of ‘cultural religion’ in research on contemporary religion.