Franco Garelli is Full Professor of Sociology of Culture and Sociology of Religion at the University of Turin, where he is the Director of the Department 'Culture, Politics and Society'. Previously, he served for six years as Dean of the Political Sciences Faculty at the same University.

• Introduction: the Italian way to religious modernity; From certain faith to uncertain faith: transformations of belief; Religious experience and religious life; Highs and lows of religious experience; Italians and the Church: near and far; The god of small things? Between Catholicism and alternative spiritualities; The Italian approach to a secular society; Religiosity in politics and in ethics; An increasingly plural divinity; Methodological appendix; Bibliography; Index.

’Franco Garelli’s book will be welcomed with enthusiasm by specialists and general readers alike for the clarity and energy with which it analyses a wealth of information about so many aspects of continuity and change in Italian religion. His analysis is not only eloquent and cogent but also based on a firm grasp of theoretical debates.’ James A. Beckford, University of Warwick, UK 'Garelli’s book provides a wide range of vital information on the state of religion in Italy, making it a critical resource for scholars of the region.' Catholic Books Review