Religion and European Integration

Abstract

What is the role played by religion in European integration? Charles Taylor proposes to address the issue through the notion of political identity, as it has been developed in Western societies, starting from the democratic (French and American) Revolutions up tot he present. Political identity is a particular kind of group identity, which binds us together through a collective agency based on common values, principles, purposes, etc. It grounds our identity as a people. This is a key concept in Taylor’s argument, since it provides the basis for liberal democratic regimes, which are held together by a set of principles deeply rooted in religious and philosophical outlooks. Religion plays here an ambivalent role: foundation for universal values, on one hand, marker of particular identity, on the other. It can therefore be a source of conflicts or works as a ground for solidarity. The latter is one of the main challenges of our time.