Austria does not have a strict separation between state and church. Since the counter-reformation, it has been influenced by Catholicism, its attitudes towards religion are from the Habsburg era, when Austria's emperors and the Catholic Church acted in unison. This volume in "Contemporary Austrian Studies" re-evaluates this age-old tradition

Particular emphasis is given to the two traditional Christian churches - the Roman Catholic and the Protestant (Lutherans and Reformists) - as well as to the fastest growing new denominations, Islam and Judaism. Since a growing number of Austrians declare themselves to be officially not affiliated with any of the denominations in this age of secularism, the phenomenon of the Konfessionslosen (persons without religious affiliation) is also examined. This volume presents different approaches to the changing trajectory of religious practice in Austria, including contemporary history, political science, sociology, and law. It will be of interest to sociologists, historians, and students of religion.