Religion and Fertility in Western Europe: Trends Across Cohorts in Britain,France and the Netherlands

The role of religion in explaining fertility differences is often overlooked in demographic studies, particularly in Western Europe, where there has been a substantial decline in institutional forms of religious adherence. The current study explores the changing relationships between religion and childbearing in Britain, France and the Netherlands. Using data from the Generations and Gender Programme and the British Household Panel Survey, religious differences in completed fertility and the transition to first birth are explored across cohorts of women. In addition, a longitudinal analysis is employed to examine the influence of religion on subsequent childbearing. Although the secularization paradigm assumes that the influence of religion on individual behavior will diminish over time, it is found that religious affiliation and practice continue to be important determinants of fertility and family formation patterns. However, there is some variation in the relationship between religion and fertility across countries; while in France and the Netherlands fertility gaps by religiosity are either consistent or increasing, in Britain, this gap appears to have narrowed over time. These findings suggest that fertility differences by religion also depend on the particular social context of religious institutions in each country.     

Religion, Religiousness and Fertility in the US and in Europe

This article aims to assess the role of religion and religiousness in engendering higher US fertility compared to Europe. Religion is important in the life of one-half of US women, whereas not even for one of six Europeans. By every available measure, American women are more religious than European women. Catholic and Protestant women have notably higher fertility than those not belonging to any denomination in the US and across Europe. In all European regions and in the United States as well as among all denominations the more devout have more children. However, women in Northern and Western Europe who are the least religious have equivalent or even higher fertility than women in the US, and notably higher fertility than those in Southern Europe. This suggests that forces other than religion and religiousness are also important in their impact on childbearing. A multivariate analysis demonstrates that relatively “traditional” socio-economic covariates (age, marital status, residence, education, and income) do not substantially change the positive association of religiousness and fertility. Finally, if Europeans were as religious as Americans one might theoretically expect a small fertility increase for Europe as a whole, but considerably more for Western Europe.     

Birth Spacing in the Netherlands. The Effects of Family Composition, Occupation and Religion on Birth Intervals, 1820–1885

In this article, Dutch family reconstructions from the period 1820–1885 are analyst. Cox regression on birth intervals discloses that couples deliberately increased birth intervals already before the onset of the fertility transition. Spacing was not related to a targeted family size or to the sex composition of the family. Rather, the (temporary) burden of young, dependent children induced the parents to delay the next conception. Catholics and orthodox Protestants had shorter birth intervals than liberal Protestants, either because they rejected breastfeeding or because they were reluctant to experiment with birth spacing. Relatively long birth intervals were prevalent in the lowest social groups, whereas farmers and the self-employed middle class tended towards short intervals.     

The Delayed Fertility Transition in North-East Italy

The transitional decline of fertility in Italy has never been studied using micro-data, with the exception of small areas. For the first time, we use individual retrospective fertility data collected for all the ever married women living in 20 % of households subjected to census in 1971 in the Veneto region (North-East Italy), a ‘late-comer’ area in the context of Western European fertility decline (TFR = 5.0 in 1871 and 1921, 2.5 in 1951 and 1971). In order to consider broad explanations of fertility decline, we combine individual retrospective data with other information available at two territorial levels (58 districts and 582 municipalities), using a three-level clustered regression model (district, municipality, woman). The main results are: (1) even if the (few) women with 8 + years of schooling born in the last decades of the nineteenth century already had a TFR around two, this value is not seen among women with low levels of education until those born 50 years later; (2) the link between fertility and secularization strengthens cohort after cohort, whereas the connections between fertility and industrialization and fertility and urbanization weaken; (3) throughout the period, the statistical inverse relationship between education and fertility is strong, both at the territorial and individual level.     

从两个和约看近代早期德国宗教的自由平等原则

《奥格斯堡宗教和约》和《威斯特伐利亚和约》作为近代早期德国两个著名和平条约,为调解新教与天主教之间的关系均制定了有关宗教自由和宗教平等的原则,但是二者在表述上存有较大差异。前者在宗教自由平等之原则上规定不甚明确,后者则更加具体、精确和丰富,因而各自对社会的意义也就有所不同,尤其是后者为近代早期德国宗教的长久和平奠定了重要基础。     

Religious Socialisation and Fertility: Transition to Third Birth in The Netherlands

Although previous studies have demonstrated that religious people in Europe have larger families, the role played by religious socialisation in the context of contemporary fertility behaviour has not yet been analysed in detail. This contribution specifically looks at the interrelation between religious socialisation and current religiosity and their impact on the transition to the third child for Dutch women. It is based on data of the first wave of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (2002–2004) and uses event history analysis. The transitions to first, second and third birth are modelled jointly with a control for unobserved heterogeneity. The findings provide evidence for an impact of women’s current church attendance as well as religious socialisation measured by their fathers’ religious affiliation, when they were teenagers. A religious family background remains influential even when a woman has stopped attending church. The effects of religious indicators strengthen over cohorts. Moreover, the combined religious make-up of the respondent’s parents also significantly determines the progression to the third child.     

意大利文艺复兴时期与中国魏晋南北朝宗教雕塑之发展基础比较

本文从时代、宗教和雕塑三个方面分析比较了意大利文艺复兴时期和中国魏晋南北朝时期的宗教雕塑产生、发展的基础之异同。     

勃朗特姐妹的宗教人格

勃朗特姐妹作为维多利亚时期的代表女作家,其写作深受牧师家庭的宗教背景影响.她们的父亲帕特里克是英国国教牧师,他倡导的福音主义--自我心灵感受宗教的启示极大地影响了勃朗特姐妹的人格和创作.本文综述了勃朗特三姐妹对于宗教的不同心灵理解,正是对于宗教的追寻和探究,以及宗教对于她们的不同启示,使得三姐妹才思泉涌,在笔端中,澎湃着女性对于维多利亚体制宗教的批判,书写着女性对于宗教的个人心灵理解.     

社会性别视野下的佤族妇女宗教信仰

在佤族原始宗教信仰中佤族男女基本是平等的。随着农业劳动的分工、生产力水平的提高及社会性别制度的逐步建构,从社会性别视角分析佤族妇女的宗教信仰,发现男性在宗教活动中占主导地位,是宗教仪式的主持者,而佤族妇女则更多是追随者,且信徒众多。在宗教信仰活动和仪式中,佤族妇女扮演着不同的角色,处于不同的地位,并发挥着不同的作用。     

诠释学与神学的对话:伽达默尔诠释学的贡献

基督宗教核心教义“因信称义”的神学思考在天主教与基督教长期论辩与对话当中所表现出来的分歧,藉助于伽达默尔诠释学得到启发与观照。伽达默尔诠释学以“游戏”概念超越传统主客对立的观点,把“了解”过程视为主客交织的,可以解决天主教与基督教因着主客二分架构而来的分歧,并且重新解读信仰为一种“投入性参与”,当人忘我地投入相信时,不再是全然主观,亦非全然客观,而且是“创造性再现”。     

Being Muslim: Unveiling the Voices of Asian Muslim Women Travellers

A quick Google search for the keywords Muslim women travel will lead to myriad travel stories online. Undoubtedly, an increasing number of Muslim women are travelling beyond borders, breaking bigotry and gender bias. In light of the dynamic changes in the travel landscape, this study seeks to unveil the voices of Asian Muslim women. It offers an alternative viewpoint as most available discourses propose interpretations of Muslim women by focusing on travel experiences of the Arab Muslim woman. Based on in-depth interviews with 10 Asian Muslim women travellers aged between 22 and 37 years old from four different countries (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia), the findings were explored and explained from three dimensions of empowerment proposed by Kabeer namely resources, agency and achievements. Research findings show that Muslim women in Asia are travelling without abandoning their cultural or religious beliefs. The proliferation of Muslim women travellers contests the view that gendered interpretations of religious texts promote patriarchal orientation in Muslim community that suppresses women leisure. In a way, this paper challenges the continuous misconceptions about Islam and travel among Muslim women. These women learn to unlearn patriarchy by seeking answers in the right places while they learn more about their self, religion and the world.     

当代陕北文学中的宗教意识——以高建群小说《大西北三部曲》为例

当代陕北文学与陕北宗教意识水乳交融,难分彼此.陕北宗教信仰民俗对作家高建群有很大的影响.高建群《大西北三部曲》中的宗教意识表现为悲悯意识、神秘色彩、理想坚守.高建群陕北题材的长篇小说中蕴含有浓郁的宗教意识,作家通过对陕北众生相的描写表达了他对人生的思考,也表达了作者对陕北文化的礼赞.     

宗教文学·中国宗教文学史·魏晋南北朝道教文学史——关于“中国宗教文学史”的理论思考与实践构想

在中国现当代学术语境中,"宗教文学"的研究从概念、问题、理论到具体实践都存在较多的问题,最主要的表现是研究者往往致力于宗教与文学关系的探讨,而忽视了宗教文学本身的研究。中国宗教和宗教文学都具有独特的自性,"中国宗教文学史"的建构必须符合这种对象属性,而"宗教性"的内涵标准和"大文学"的文体观念,正是构建民族本位宗教文学研究的重要原则之一。作为中国宗教文学史重要阶段的"魏晋南北朝道教文学史",尤其可以体现此一原则的价值和意义。     

试析宗教对美国进步主义运动时期女性的影响——以简·亚当斯的宗教观为例

在美国历史上的进步主义运动时期,中产阶级白人妇女与宗教之间的关系是复杂而微妙的。作为进步主义运动时期最杰出的女性,简·亚当斯宗教观的发展和变化具有鲜明的代表性。简·亚当斯对于宗教的矛盾态度与个人因素有关,更与当时的社会环境相关。在简.亚当斯看来,女性参与社会改良既符合社会利益,又符合家庭利益。而要在新的历史条件下维护宗教精神,就必须突破宗教机构和教条的局限。简.亚当斯的宗教观以实用主义哲学为本,是实用主义宗教观的具体体现。     

基于新历史主义的《狼厅》人物解读

希拉里·曼特尔的小说《狼厅》一反正史的叙事传统，除了描写皇宫贵族，还关注各阶层人物的人情冷暖，具有强烈的新历史主义色彩。小说不是用单线突出国王亨利八世历史形象，而是用复线发掘和刻画了策划人克伦威尔、改革派和保守派以及经受磨难的边缘人等，在宗教改革背景下不同阶层人物的行为、遭遇和内心世界，再现了16世纪初英格兰政治、宗教及经济状况，勾画了鲜活的历史景观。     

“宗教热”原因探析

该文以中国社会转型时期出现的各种社会现象为背景,探析“宗教热”产生的原因。通过对“宗教热”的表现及其基本特点的分析,阐述宗教教义带有的浓厚“入世”倾向,使宗教易于传播,并为人们认可和接受;宗教的基本教义可调整人们的心理冲突,减缓心理挫折,满足人们的心理需求;宗教对信徒情感需求的满足是“宗教热”的强大动力;“文化热”的出现,是“宗教热”产生的客观条件;宗教活动场所及宣教过程中所营造的浓郁宗教文化氛围,是宗教热的直接外部导因,引发人们对“宗教热”做一些理性思考。     

抗战时期中国共产党的宗教政策研究

抗日战争时期的宗教政策是在日本利用宗教侵华、宗教界开展抗日活动以及中国当时的宗教国情和在此之前所实行的宗教政策不利于团结宗教界抗日的社会背景下制定的,主要有宗教信仰自由与政教分离的政策;与宗教界结成抗日统一战线;实行灵活适时的宗教土地政策,积极引导和推动宗教界共赴国难等。这些政策的实行推动了抗战的胜利,使得宗教界有了一些新气象,从而也改善了宗教界与中国共产党的关系,为新中国宗教政策的制定奠定了基础。     

社会主义初级阶段宗教问题及其基本规律

社会主义初级阶段理论为我们研究现阶段我国宗教问题及其规律提供了思维的坐标。超越历史阶段的“左”的错误使我们不能客观地分析宗教的根源 ,不能全面地界定宗教的本质 ,不能正确地评价宗教的功能和作用 ;不能科学地预见宗教的消亡。社会主义初级阶段宗教的主要问题是 :宗教在社会主义初级阶段的存在和发展问题 ;如何认识宗教与社会主义社会相适应的问题 ,如何对待信教群众的宗教信仰问题 ;依法加强对宗教事务的管理问题。社会主义初级阶段宗教的基本规律是 :宗教在社会主义初级阶段长期存在和发展的规律 ,宗教与社会主义社会相适应的规律 ,宗教信仰自由政策影响宗教发展的规律 ,依法加强对宗教的管理、保证宗教健康发展的规律     

宗教杀戮与文学拯救——论迈克·朗利诗歌中的民族文化情愫

作为第四任“爱尔兰诗人之椅”的荣誉持有者,诗人迈克·朗利在众多当代爱尔兰诗人中独树一帜。通过糅杂于诗歌中的各种民族文化情愫,朗利用细致深沉的笔触表达了对北爱尔兰宗派冲突的批判以及对和平的殷切向往。他一方面痛心于同胞间的冷漠、隔阂、杀戮,另一方面在自身诗歌写作中积极关注家园和时事,以文学参与当代北爱尔兰的民族文化重建,凸显了高度的文学伦理使命感。     

西美尔宗教思想概观

在西美尔的思想体系中,"宗教性"是宗教的本质和内核。不同于实体宗教,"宗教性"既是宗教灵魂的基本存在,也是一种社会精神结构。在西美尔看来,整合性功能是宗教和社会的重要内容,而宗教整合性又是社会整合性的绝对形式。西美尔认为:"宗教生活和社会生活之间最深刻的形式关系就在于,个体作为其集体成员的属性永远都是有限规定和个人自由的某种混合。"面对宗教的现代困境,西美尔指出,只有对个体宗教生命本身的回归,才能超越信仰主体与信仰对象之间的二元对立,实现灵魂的拯救。