From secularisations to political religions

In European culture the sacred and secular have existed in a dialectical relationship. Prodi sees fifteenth-century crisis of Christianity as opening up three paths that eroded this dualism tended towards modernity: civic-republican religion, monarchy, territorial churches. Important counter-forces, which sought to maintain dualism, included Roman-Tridentine Compromise, those forms Radical rejected confessionalisation outright. During Eighteenth Century, all these phenomena contribute one two tendencies: civic or political religion. The former preserved distinction between conscience law; latter comprised state religion perfect human nature. It was become embodied early USA, alienating God from worldly power, but leaving him guarantor agreements humans. Back Europe, tracks relationship Catholic Church new national states. He then turns religions Twentieth Century. concludes by emphasising power lay at centre Western modernity, expresses his fears about collapse into especially USA.