Knoblauch, Hubert2019-01-082019-01-0820030037-7686https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/8887http://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-8016Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.This introductory article begins by sketching Luckmann's theory of invisible religion. It lays stress particularly on the recent modifications of this theory: in addition to the well-known anthropological notion of transcendence, Luckmann elaborates a detailed phenomenological notion of transcendence, distinguishing between three levels of transcendence. This innovation, it is argued, not only affects Luckmann's general theory of religion. It also sheds a new light on the religious situation in Europe. Europe is, indeed, characterized by the decrease of religion as opposed to other areas of the world where we discern a kind of “resacralization”. However, three restrictions apply to this statement: the religious situation in Europe is still very diverse; the institutional role of the churches in Europe is quite specific, and, finally, if we apply Luckmann's notion of religion, we can detect a blooming alternative religiosity in Europe which parallels the global tendency.en300 Sozialwissenschaften360 Soziale Probleme und Sozialdienste; Verbände310 Sammlungen allgemeiner StatistikenEuropereligioninvisible religiontranscendenceArticle1461-7404