Walking the walk of religion and nonreligion: notes on Turpin’s Unholy Catholic Ireland: Religious hypocrisy, secular morality, and Irish irreligion

Abstract

In his book Unholy Catholic Ireland Turpin examines the rejection of religion in Ireland and how it has become intertwined with perceptions of moral hypocrisy. First of all, I must say that I immen-sely appreciate the thoroughness and versatility of Turpin ’ s work. The book is based on his extensive original research that is rich in methodology and insight. The general trends are depicted with a historical overview and analysis of survey data, and these are complemented with qualitative work on media sources, interviews, and fi eldwork (both in-site and virtual). The qualitative research gives voice to ordinary Irish people; their views can be heard throughout the book, intertwined with the bigger trends. Di ff erent positions and outlooks are represented, from the “ morally authentic ” ex-Catholics to the priests who struggled with their moral stigma. In