Congregations in Europe and the United States: Surprising similarities and common priorities for future research
Every country is unique in its own way, and every country has its own religious particularities. But a main lesson that I take from these chapters is that there also are striking similarities across countries in their current religious situations. Perhaps it is not surprising to see religious similarities across European countries. But I am struck by similarities even between the European realities described in these chapters and the contemporary religious scene in the United States. I will highlight three points of similarity: decline, immigration as a source of religious diversity, and the suspicion that much religion now occurs outside religious organizations in general and outside congregations in particular. And I will conclude by suggesting several priorities for future research.
