Especially since the 1990s, especially during the presidency of George W. Bush (2001-2009), a religious divide has appeared between the US and Western Europe which begs for an explanation. A quick glance at history shows that there is more to that difference than may appear at first sight. The deceptively simple question of how to explain the divide between the two continents compels one to revisit the religious histories of Europe and America and to question the importance of spaces, borders, connections and interactions across the Atlantic Ocean as well as within continents and regions. It becomes quickly apparent that, rather than narrowing down the scope, we should widen our perspective even further, since neither Europe nor America can be dissociated from the wider world.
Prof. Dr. Patrick Pasture is Senior Research Fellow at the Leibniz-Institute for European History.
