This book deals with the how and why of over a century of religious and cultural change. Steve Bruce explores Scotland's transformation from the largely devout Presbyterian country of 1900, with the church as a major social force, to the diverse, more secular society of today, when less than 10 per cent of Scots attend church. He bases his study on a career's worth of historical, ethnographic and statistical research, to provide both a coherent description of Scotland's current religious complexion and a considered explanation of the forces that shaped it. Scottish Gods is both a fascinating summary of over a century of religious and cultural change, and a searing analysis of the state of religion in Scotland today by one of our leading social historians. It explores how religion has become more varied over time: growth in Catholicism and charismatic Christian fellowships; easternisation of Scotland's religious vocabulary through Buddhism and Hinduism; the growth of the Muslim population, and pursuit of spiritual interests once considered pagan. It looks at the decline in the Protestant-Catholic divide. It discusses controversies over the proper public place of religion.

About the Author
Steve Bruce is Professor of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen. He is Fellow of the British Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.


Book Information
ISBN 9780748682898
Author Steve Bruce
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press
Weight(grams) 519g