oa [Publieke religie: een terreinverkenning, Public Religion: A Field Survey]

The public role of contemporary religion is undeniably a topic of much strive and debate. Two recent Dutch volumes make an important contribution to this discussion by analyzing and evaluating issues that arise with the ‘re-emergence of religion in the public domain’. Especially the volume that was issued by the (Dutch) Scientific Council for Government Policy shows the transformations in the Dutch religious landscape and how important non-religious attitudes and orientations presently are in the Netherlands. Notwithstanding critical voices the authors of both books show an appreciative and non-judgemental approach to the phenomena they research. This essay addresses some of the key issues in the often confusing and confused debates concerning the role that religion plays in modern society.