The power of modernity to secularise has been a foundational idea of the western world. This title brings together leading scholars in the social history of religion and the sociology of religion to explore what we know about the decline of organised Christianity in Britain, Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. 'This collection of essays is remarkably coherent, richly documented, and wide-ranging, as befits a celebration of the magisterial work of Hugh McLeod - whose achievements are surveyed by the editors in the opening chapter.' Church Times 'To honor McLeod's signal contributions, Brown and Snape have assembled a set of sparkling essays that may be divided into three categories: historical monographs, national case studies and sociological fisticuffs... a book chock full of wisdom...' Church History 'All in all, then, this is a fitting Festschrift for a major historian and a useful volume for all those who work on the social history of religion. It also marks an important moment in the sociology and historiography of religion, for it confirms the vibrancy of the subject and reveals that the secularization debate is still very far from over.' Cultural and Social History