ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the consequences of the regulatory patterns that have emerged in eastern and western European church-state relations since the end of the Second World War. It argues that the regulatory regimes that have developed in Europe have created incentives for European churches to play roles in society other than that of mobilizing participation in institutionalized religion. The chapter also argues that the direction of contemporary state regulation may help shape the direction of a church’s priorities and activities independently of the condition of the population’s religious commitment. Adaptation to the regulatory environment may undermine the objectives identified in establishing the original regulatory regime. Regulation of utilities is a contemporary example of how the complexity of regulation, with the competing goals of universal service, rate setting, and air quality, can produce regulatory quandaries. Historically, church-state relationships have been a recurring and significant source of political controversy in European states.
