Imprisoned Religion: Transformations of Religion during and after Imprisonment in Eastern Germany

This book explores religious transformations within the prisons and the offender rehabilitation programmes of Eastern Germany. The transformations are part of a long and multi-layered history of social and political changes on an institutional and personal level. Particular focus is placed on Germany's unification which had long-lasting structural consequences for religion in the realm of offender rehabilitation.Exploring the profound religious changes that individuals have when they experience imprisonment and release, this book draws on participant observation and interviews of inmates, ex-prisoners, chaplains and prison visitors. A comparative chapter, including in particular the cases of Italy and Switzerland, shows that despite the very different local, historical, denominational, political and social contexts the transformation patterns of individuals' relationship to religion, and their use of religious resources are strongly shaped by the total character of the institutions through which they go. The difficulties for religiously committed people to keep their religious life going under the harsh conditions of social stigma after release are highlighted. Prisons create a particular type of religion and religiosity which seems to survive only painfully in the highly secular context of the outside society: the kind of religion emerging in prison seems to never be released - it remains imprisoned. This book deals with important questions that transcend the boundaries of Germany, and it also offers a timely opportunity to counter-balance some of the hype about the alleged resurgence of public religion in Central and Eastern Europe.