Equal Before God?: The Proselytizing Church and the Inevitability of Secular Nationalism.

The secularization theory has long held sway in the social sciences. If nowhere else, the secularization thesis seems to hold true in Western Europe. This study looks at one of the mechanisms behind the transformation of religious groups into secular nations, arguing that the universal nature of western religions (Catholicism, Protestantism) and their related goals of proselytism erode any religious foundation for nation-building. In other words, national identity is based on the unique characteristics of a given group. As such, the universal goals of the Catholic Church (i.e. a message for all mankind) and its related acceptance throughout many states in Europe means that Catholicism is of little use in building an Italian identity in contrast to a French or Spanish one. The result is nationalism built on other unique characteristics (language, history, culture) and a de-emphasis on religion (at least in terms of national identity). Examples from Western Europe are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]