Youth in Europe: An international empirical study about the impact of religion on life orientation

Book excerpt: This book draws upon empirical data collected from 10,000 adolescent young people in 10 European countries. The first volume of this project was about young people's life perspectives and the second about their religious attitudes and practices. The current and final volume of this cross-cultural study connects both research dimensions. The analyses make clear that the influence of religion on values, life-orientation and politics differs strongly between different groups within Christianity and between Christians, Jews and Muslims. Many findings contain obvious surprises because they refute mainstream opinion on many topics. The book gives detailed and new insights in the public relevance of the religiosity of young people across Europe. All three volumes together are indispensable for scholars who work in public, religious and educational contexts.