ABSTRACT
The conclusion discusses the modernity of the concept of religion and gives an overview of three stages of transformation. In the first stage, religion as we know it, exemplified in the Roman Catholic Church, appears as a modern institution maneuvering its way in liquid modernity, more (parishes) or less (movements and events) attached to the principles of solid modernity. In the second stage, ecclesial initiatives in the media, on the spiritual market, and in spiritual care tend to escape control by church authorities. This stage shows the tension between promoting and preventing processes leading to the redistribution of religious capital. The third stage is illustrated with three examples. The first example demonstrates how, after secular organizations have taken over specialized pastoral care, religion is excluded. The second example shows the inclusion of religion as a private matter in the field of leisure. The third example illustrates the use of religion as a cultural resource in theatre, sometimes to such an extent that the distinction with liturgy was blurred. The approach taken in this study is related to the narratives of secularization and ‘spiritual revolution’. Majority churches are dying out while at the same time elements are transformed and as such continue to be present in other institutional spheres.
