Religious feminisation, confessionalism, and re-masculinisation in western European society, 1800-1960

Summary, in English

In my article, I am discussing two main concepts of special interest when studying gender and religion in modern Western society, namely the theory of a feminisation of Christianity in the 19th century and the concept of a reconfessionalisation of European society. The previous concept is developed on the basis of studies on liberal-bourgeois milieus, where a belief in science and social progress gradually replaced Christianity as a normative guideline. Religion was regarded a private matter pertaining to women, and therefore of no or little relevance in the men’s world. The discursive feminisation of Christianity progressed in step with the division into private and public that characterised the rising liberal-bourgeois society. The concept of a re-confessionalisation of society takes another part of departure. A starting point is the revivalist movement and the revitalisation of the churches in 19th century Western society. Whereas the feminisation thesis implies that men distanced themselves from church life, the concept of confessionalisation homes in on those parts of society that were dominated by men. Confessionalisation here becomes a key to understanding male engagement in the church in an otherwise increasingly feminised religious context.

• Author: Yvonne Maria Werner
• Editor: Sjørup Lene; Rømer Christensen Hilda
• Publishing year: 2009
• Language: English
• Pages: 143-166
• Publication/Series: Pieties and gender
• Volume: International studies in religion and society, 9
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Brill
• Topic: History
• Keywords: feminisation; modern Western society; national identity; Gender; religion; confessionalisation
• Status: Published
• Research group: Christian manliness - a paradox of modernity
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1573-4293; ISBN: 9789004178267