Ulrich Beck, Cosmopolitanism and the Individualization of Religion

Abstract

This article offers a critical appraisal of Ulrich Beck’s A God of One’s Own. Connecting the trajectory of the book with the conceptual anchors set down in preceding work on reflexive modernization and cosmopolitanism, areas of empirical imprecision are identified and obstacles to the widespread adoption of personalized forms of faith are considered. Concentrating on issues around configurations of power, the formation of identity and filters of cultural difference, points of critique are developed and areas ripe for future investigation are suggested.