European religious diversity

Although this book's focus has been on the beliefs expressed by British older people it is no longer possible to draw strong boundaries around the beliefs of a particular nation, society or culture. We live in an increasingly globalised world, of regular tourist travel as well as of migration in search of better work opportunities, and also, increasingly in mature adulthood, of hopes for an improved quality of life. Religious influences from neighbouring and more distant cultures impact on our lives in ways that can be illuminating but also unsettling. This is particularly so if the new culture exemplifies a more vibrant form of faith, which raises questions about the depth of our own commitments. The arrival of Pentecostal peoples from Africa and the Caribbean has not only broadened the spectrum of Christian worship in the UK but has also provided an unaccustomed degree of witness to the action of the Holy Spirit in people's lives. The recent influx of Catholics from Asia, as well as from Eastern European countries such as Poland, is changing the culture of the Roman Catholic Church in the UK, just as Irish immigration did in the 19th century. The new religious practices which the immigrants bring with them can provide attractive invigorating new models for the host population.

In this and the following chapter we shall consider what can be learned from better acquaintance with the experience of ageing within different religious cultures. Religious attitudes tend to be shaped early in life, but their influence lasts a lifetime, and the cultural and communal memories associated with the practice of a particular religious faith often achieve maximum impact in late life. The historical and cultural experiences intimately connected with one's religion are therefore important factors to consider when attempting to understand and assess older persons’ spiritual needs. This experience is far from homogeneous. In this chapter we will examine three examples of older people's memories of Christian faith in Eastern and Southern Europe that vary considerably from that of their counterparts in the predominantly Protestant societies of north-west Europe. The following chapter will consider the other great faiths in Britain, particularly Islam, but also Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as Judaism, which for centuries was the only other major religion with a noticeable presence in the country.