Search Results

This chapter demonstrates the relevance of the concept of extra-institutional religion in general, extending its theoretical application outside post-Catholic Ireland. Extra-institutional religion’s ability to contribute to personal transformation is linked to the way it facilitates an experiential, individualized form of religion, making it well suited to the religious conditions of late modernity. Its ability to contribute to wider transformation is linked to the place provided for religion in the public sphere of a particular society; and to its position on the margins of religious markets, which gives it structural advantages when working for change. Extra-institutional religion strikes a balance or a middle way between the relatively free-floating religious individuals of reflexive modernity, the historical legacies of collectivistic religions, and conservative or fundamentalist religious enclaves. The chapter also includes five lessons for faith-inspired activists on contributing to reconciliation on the island of Ireland.

This chapter engages with religious debates about religious markets in Europe, arguing that the religious landscape of the island of Ireland should be considered a ‘mixed’, post-Catholic religious market. It also introduces the new concept of extra-institutional religion, and identifies the three key arguments of the book: (1) extra-institutional religion is significant in the ways it prompts personal transformation, and creates spaces where people work together for religious, social, and political transformation; (2) extra-institutional religion provides a counter-balance to prevailing theories of religious individualization in which the ‘reflexive’, modern religious individual is seen as constructing a ‘God of one’s own’; and (3) extra-institutional religion has the potential to contribute to reconciliation on the island of Ireland, more so than traditional Christian institutions.

This chapter explores how the religious landscape of the island of Ireland changed from one of monopoly Catholicism to a mixed, post-Catholic religious market. It explores differences and commonalities north and south, particularly after partition in 1921, and discusses how the Catholic Church’s monopoly was displaced, emphasizing the role of media and television, the changing role of women in society, changes within Catholicism itself (especially after Vatican II), and the impact of clerical sexual abuse scandals. It also describes contemporary Ireland’s mixed, post-Catholic religious market, noting the individualization of religion, tracking changes in religious identification and beliefs, and charting the island’s increased religious diversity. It argues that extra-institutional expressions of religion have become important players in this market, with the potential to prompt further transformation.

This chapter presents the findings from a case study of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) in Ballyboden, Dublin. It includes a history of the parish and its PPC, and explains how the PPC is an expression of extra-institutional religion. Ballyboden parishioners distinguish between the ‘institutional’ and the local church, speak of their concerns about a lost generation of Irish Catholics, and share their hopes for the Irish Catholic Church in fifty years’ time. They are painfully aware of the shortcomings of the Irish Catholic Church, are reluctant to articulate grand visions for the church, and are not convinced that their own personal, individual transformations can contribute to far-reaching change. Yet they locate their hope for the future of the church in the laity at the grassroots and good local priests—people they believe are living out the gospel despite the institutional church.

This chapter presents the findings from a case study of Fermanagh Churches Forum (FCF), which was established to promote better inter-church relations, Christian unity, and reconciliation. It includes a history of FCF, and explains how FCF is an expression of extra-institutional religion. It focuses on people’s stories about how FCF facilitated individual transformation through education and building relationships; as well as how FCF serves as a vehicle for activism around reconciliation and ecumenism, exploration of other religions, and climate change/fair trade. It is in activism around such issues where the potential to spark wider socio-political transformation lies, although people from FCF seemed disappointed that they had not seen more dramatic results from their efforts. Nevertheless, church forums like FCF are able to focus on wider processes of reconciliation when traditional religious institutions are not inclined to do so.

This chapter presents the findings from a case study of Slí Eile (Magis Ireland), a Jesuit ministry for young adults. It includes a history of Slí Eile, and explains how it is an expression of extra-institutional religion. It explores how some young people considered Slí Eile an alternative to the institutional Irish Catholic Church, and Slí Eile’s efforts to promote lay–clerical collaboration. It describes how Slí Eile provided safe spaces where people could voice their doubts and find support in difficult times, thus contributing to individual transformation. It also describes how the young people perceived themselves as truly living out their faith in ‘another way’, centring their reflections on spirituality, social justice, and community. Some saw potential in this ‘other way’ to contribute to wider transformations in church, society, and politics—but these ambitions were not fully realized.

This chapter presents the findings from a case study of Holy Cross Benedictine Monastery in Rostrevor. It describes how Holy Cross became the first Benedictine monastery to be established on the island for 800 years, before discussing how it is an example of extra-institutional religion. Holy Cross is seen by many as outside of the institutional Irish Catholic Church, because the monks have been willing to critique institutional responses to sexual abuse by clergy. The chapter also explores how Holy Cross functions as a haven for Christians from various traditions, empowers Catholic laity, creates safe spaces for Christians from multiple traditions, and inspires ecumenism. People who visit Holy Cross told stories of individual transformation. Though small-scale, these changes in people’s behaviour can be seen as contributing to wider processes of religious and socio-political transformation, as well as reconciliation.

This chapter presents the findings from a case study of St Patrick’s United Church, a multiethnic, ecumenical (Methodist–Presbyterian) congregation under the care of the Methodist Church in Waterford City. It provides a history of the congregation, including growth fed by immigration. It explains how it can be considered an example of extra-institutional religion, focusing on its ambivalent relationship with the Irish Catholic Church, and apparent in how people spoke of being Christian in a post-Catholic Ireland, being Christian in a pluralist congregation, and rejecting the classical ecumenical project. It also analyses how St Patrick’s negotiates diversity, creating a multicultural haven that can serve as a model for other groups, although challenges remain around cultural differences and building cross-cultural relationships. It argues that St Patrick’s negotiates diversity more effectively than traditional congregations and denominations, and may be better placed to contribute to socio-political transformations than traditional religious institutions.

This chapter presents the findings from a case study of Abundant Life, a multiethnic, multinational, charismatic/Pentecostal congregation in Limerick City. It provides a history of the congregation, including growth fed by immigration, and argues that Abundant Life can be considered an example of extra-institutional religion because of how its people define themselves in opposition to the Irish Catholic Church. It also analyses how Abundant Life is negotiating immigration and ethnic diversity. There are remarkably harmonious relationships between native Irish and immigrants, which were built in large part on a leadership model in which one ethnic group does not hold significantly more power than others—although challenges remained when it came to building cross-cultural relationships. It argues that Abundant Life negotiates diversity more effectively than traditional congregations and denominations. It may be better placed to contribute to socio-political transformations, and to model reconciliation between groups, than traditional religious institutions.

This chapter presents the findings from a case study of Jesus Centre, Dublin, a parish of the charismatic/Pentecostal, Nigerian-based Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). It includes a history of Jesus Centre, and explores how it has created an extra-institutional space where people’s everyday beliefs and practices are contrasted to Irish Catholicism. This is seen in how people spoke about evangelism, their interactions with other churches, and promoting healing from clerical sexual abuse scandals. It argues that Jesus Centre both complements and challenges Ireland’s traditional institutional churches because it is a space where many have experienced personal transformation, and because its increasing interactions with other church and secular groups make it poised to contribute to wider transformations. Because Jesus Centre is not caught up in the sectarianism of the island’s past, they may have unique contributions to make to reconciliation.